FRANCONIA, a circle in the centre of Germany, and anciently a part of Thuringia, is situated between 43° 45' and 50° 50' North Latitude, and between 9° 20' and 12° 10 East Longitude from Greenwich. It extends in some places 140 miles from north to south, and between 90 and 115 from west to east. It contains 7744 geographical miles, and 1.000.000 of inhabitants. It is distributed into different states or principalities, namely, those of ecclesias tical princes, of secular princes, and of imperial cities.
I. The states of the ecclesiastical pi inces are the bisho prics of Aichstadt, of \Vurtzburg, of Bamberg, and the ter ritories of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.
The bishopric of Aichstadt, or Eichstcd, is situated in the south-east corner of the circle, and is a tolerably fruit ful country, watered by the Altmuhl, Anlauter, Schwar zach, Sulz, and Retzat. Its principal towns arc, Aichstadt (sec ArcusTADT,) the episcopal residence, about 45 miles south of Nuremberg, remarkable chiefly for a curious piece of workmanship in the church, called the sun of the holy sacrament, made of massy gold, and enriched with the most precious stones ; Nassenfells, a borough and citadel, three leagues west of Ingolstadt, and in the south-east cor ner of the country where the ancient Aurcatum was situp,— ted ; Abenberg, a small town and castle, where the counts of the same name formerly had their residence, and near which is at present a glass foundery for mirrors ; Herree den, Ohrnbau, Spalt, and several other small towns.
The bishopric of \Vurtzburg, situated towards the west part of the circle, extends about 90 miles from north to south, and 50 from west to east, and contains 262,000 inha bitants. It is watered by the Mayne, the Saal, the Tauber, and the Jaxt ; abounds in grain, fruits, and pastures ; and yields the best wine in Franconia. Its principal towns are, AVurtzburg, a well-built and well-fortified city, containing a cathedral, an episcopal palace, an university, an observa tory, several monasteries and churches, and about 16,000 inhabitants ; Heydinsficld, a little town on the Mayne, sur rounded with vineyards ; Veits-Hocheim, a small place about four leagues below the capital, containing a palace of the bishop ; Kissingen, a little town on the Saal, having se veral salt springs and medicinal waters in its neighbour hood ; Nunnerstadt, a small town on the river Laur, con taining a gymnasium, a cloister of the Augustine hermits, and a commandery of the Teutonic Order ; Koenigshofen, a small fortified town on the Saal ; Gerolshofen, an ancient town on the left of the Mayne, near to which are the ruins of the citadel of Zabelstein ; Volkach, a town on the Mayne, four leagues north east of \Vurtzburg, which exports con siderable quantities of wine ; Tphofcn, Kitzingen, Ochsen furt,all celebrated for good wine, and situated on the Mayne; Homburg, Dettelbach, and a great number of small mar ket-towns.
The bishopric of Bamberg, situated east and south of \Vurtzburg, stretches upwards of 65 miles from south-west to north-east, is between 40 and 50 miles in breadth, and contains 195,000 inhabitants. It is divided into two equal parts by the river Rednitz, running from south to north, and falling at Bamberg into the Mayne, which waters the nor thern parts, The soil is generally fertile, producing abun dance of grain, fruits, and wine ; and near the capital there are so many trees of the laurel, fig, lemon, and orange, that it is sometimes called the little Italy of Germany. The principal towns are Bamberg (see BAmBERO, or Bahen berg, the capital of the district, a tolerably well built city, containing a magnificent cathedral, a large episcopal pa lace, an university, several monasteries, Ste. and about 16,600 inhabitants ; Fo•chheim, a fortified town, about 20 miles south of Bamberg, defended by a strong castle, and containing 4000 inhabitants ; Schesslitz, a neat town with a castle, two leagues north-cast of the capital ; Cronach, meanly built hut fortified town, situated on an eminence, and containing 4000 inhabitants ; Lichtenfels, a trading place on the i\laync, 20 miles north-east of Bamberg ; Upper Scheinfield, Vilseck, Ste.