Villefranche is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:
Many French towns are called Villefranche , mostly in the south of France (often with the addition of a name specifying the region where it is, to distinguish it from others of the same name). Franqueville or Francheville is more common in the North of France.
This archetype Gazetteer demonstrates an important milestone in the history of the evolution of cities in Europe and in the history of the bourgeoisie. Franche here means "free"; as the community was a city composed of "bourgeois" who were freed from strict feudal lord of a well and found themselves excluded from certain obligations (in particular fiscal, monetary) which usually applicable to mere "subjects" and the commoners.
This opportunity allowed the bourgeoisie French (and European) to depart from traditional life of the 13th & 14th century, focusing their energies and resources on fostering the development of the banking system, trade, science, etc. Left with facing their own responsibilities, they began to organize themselves, and the citizenry gradually formed civil society, and developed some spheres of economic, cultural, social and political power. This gradual emancipation led the bourgeoisie to move further and further in the autonomy and "self-management" (an anachronistic term here), until eventually undermine the very existence of feudalism and the monarchy, and to be swept-up much later in the turmoil of the Revolution of 1789 .
| This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |