AVIGNON (Arent() Cararum), a city of Provence, in the s. of France, capital of the department of Vaucluse, is situated on the left bank of the Rhone, which is here crossed by a long bridge. The pop. is (1876) 33.189; the streets are narrow and crooked. There is a multitude of churches and religious establishments, among which the cathe dral on the Rocher des Dons and the church of the Franciscans, as well as the old papal palace and the tower Glaciere, are distinguished. The dominican convent now serves as a eannon-foundry. The city is the see of an arehbishon, has a musenm and picture gallery, and several other valuable institutions. The university. founded in 1203, was abolished in 1794. A. has manufactures of silk. silk-dyeing. tanning, iron founding, etc.. and is famous for its garden produce, its fruit, wine, honey, etc. The country about A. is delightful, and extremely fruitful in corn, wine, olives, oranges, and lemons: —In A., Petrarch spent several years; it was here he saw Laura, whose monument is to be found in the Franciscan church. Vaucluse, which he has immortalized, lies about 3 leagues from Avignon. A. was the capital of the ancient Cavares, and preLents many
remains of the times of the Romans. In the middle ages, it formed, with the surrounding district, a co., which the popes, who had already received the co. of Venaissin as a gift from king Philip III., bought in 1348 from Joanna, queen 'of Naples awl countess of Provence. The pope governed both counties through a vice-legate, and eentinued in the possession of them till 1790, when, after several stormy and bloody scenes, the city with its district was united with France. At the peace of Tolentino, 1797, the pope formally resigned A. and Venaissin. A. is celebrated in ecclesiastical history as being, for a time, the residence of the popes. By order of Philip of France. pope Clement d V, and six of his successors from 1309 to 1377, were oblige to reside there. It was afterwards the residence of more than one anti-pope. Two ecclesiastical councils were Also held at A. (1326 and 1337): the first took into consideration the relation of the clergy to the laity; the other, the bad training of the clergy.