Valréas

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Coordinates: 44°23′06″N 4°59′28″E / 44.385, 4.99111111111

Administration
Commune of Valréas View of Valréas
Location

Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Vaucluse
Arrondissement	Avignon
Canton	Valréas
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes de l'Enclave des Papes
Mayor	Nadège Savajols (2004-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	158 m–530 m (avg. 250m)
Land area^¹	57.97 km²
Population^² (1999)	9,431
- Density	163/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	138/ 84600
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Valréas is a town and commune of the Vaucluse département, in France.

[edit] History

The area around the town of Valréas is known as "L'Enclave des Papes" within the department of Vaucluse. It is an enclave of Vaucluse, surrounded by the department of the Drôme. The foundation of the Enclave began in 1317 when Pope John XXII bought Valreas for the papacy of Avignon. The story goes that following a visit to Valreas, feeling unwell he was offered some wine from the area. Liking it he decided to purchase the town to ensure his wine supply. Over the next 150 years or so his successors added to the Enclave by the addition of the small towns of Visan, Richerenches and Grillon. The boundaries were defined by tall stone markers carrying the coat of Arms of the Popes. The present day boundaries are still delimited by some of theses stones, one of which is outside the entrance to the Valreas Tourist office. When the departments of France were created post Revolution the people of the Enclave requested to remain as part of the department of Vaucluse (see Comtat Venaissin). Hence the "Enclave des Papes".