VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE, a manufacturing town of east-central France, capital of an arrondissement in the de partment of Rhone, on the Morgon near its junction with the SaOne, 21 m. N. by W. of Lyons by raiL Pop. (1931) 17,162.
Founded in 1212 by Guichard IV., count of Beaujeu, Villefranche became in the 14th century capital of the Beaujolais. Edward II. was forced to surrender the Beaujolais to the duke of Bourbon. Among its industries the chief are the manufacture of working clothes, the manufacture, dyeing and finishing of cotton fabrics, including surgical dressings, linings, the spinning of cotton thread, copper founding and the manufacture of machinery and agri cultural implements. The wines of Beaujolais, hemp, cotton cloth,
linen, cotton thread, drapery goods and cattle are the principal articles of trade. An old Renaissance house is used as the town hall. The I 5th century church of Notre Dame des Marais, has a 16th century tower and spire (rebuilt in 1862), standing to the right of the façade. Villefranche is the seat of a sub-prefect and has a tribunal of commerce and a chamber of commerce.