AVIGNON, a've-nyOn' (ancient Avenio), France, city, capital of the department Vau cluse, on the left bank of the Rhone 30 miles from the Mediterranean. It consists generally of large antique houses, in narrow, crooked, dirty streets. The principal objects of interest are the large and very ancient cathedral; the papal 'palace, with walls and an strong towers, and the chamber of the Inquisi tion. The Musee Calvet contains Roman and other antiquities and a famous picture gallery. The public library contains 140,000 printed vol umes and 32,000 manuscripts. The silk manu facture is the principal source of employment at Avignon, and the rearing of silkworms is carried on extensively in the district. The city has also manufactories of velvet, woolen and other goods, hats, jewelry, etc., with silk dye works, paper-mills, tanneries, agricultural imple ments, tin, copper, hardware, chemicals and oil works, etc., and a trade in wine, brandy, iron, cotton, wool, grain and other articles, of which it is the entrepot for Lower Dauphine, Provence and all Languedoc. Here Petrarch lived sev
eral years; here he saw his Laura, who formed the subject of his most beautiful verses, and whose tomb is still to be found in the Fran ciscan Church. The fountain of Vaucluse is five leagues from Avignon. It belonged to the papal see from 1348 to 1791, and from March 1309 to September 1376 seven Popes in suc cession, from Clemens V to Gregory XI, were compelled to reside in this city. The Catholic historians commonly call this period the Baby lonish captivity of the Popes. It is the chief centre of the Felibrige Brotherhood, organized about 70 years ago to promote the revival of the Provencal language and literature. Consult Miintz, (La cour pontificale (in Re vue des questions historiques, Paris 1899) ; O'Kay, of Avignon' (London 1911); Peujon, 'Avignon; la ville et le palais des [Apes) (Avignon 1905). Pop. (1911) 49,314.