Villeréal, Medieval bastide town in Lot-et-Garonne, France.
Villeréal displays a traditional medieval grid layout with eight perpendicular streets surrounding a central marketplace featuring a half-timbered market hall and exterior staircases leading to upper floors.
Founded in 1265 by Count Alphonse de Poitiers following a land grant from Gaston de Gontaut-Biron, Villeréal was occupied by English forces from 1279 to 1453 during the Hundred Years' War.
Designated as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, the town maintains its Saturday market tradition established by King Edward I of England in 1288 through the Charte des Coutumes de la Cité.
Located at 103 meters elevation with Mayor Jean-Jacques Caminade leading governance since 2023, the commune covers 113.92 square kilometers and offers tourist information through the local office.
John Reps documented the village's evolution through comprehensive photography spanning from 1966 to 2010, creating an extensive visual archive of its architectural preservation and development over four decades.
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