Photo : Paternel 1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Towns & cities · Lot-et-Garonne
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Founded in 1264 on the grid plan typical of south-western bastides, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, in the Lot-et-Garonne, spreads across both banks of the Lot, linked by the old fortified bridge whose medieval towers once watched over the passage of goods.
The Place Lafayette, surrounded by the arcades typical of bastides, is the commercial heart of the town, while the remains of the walls, notably the Porte de Paris and the Porte de Pujols, recall its original defensive role. With a particularly mild microclimate in the Lot valley, the surrounding area specialises in fruit growing, making the town an important centre of fruit production, especially plums for Agen prunes.
