RHODEZ, properly RODEZ, a city of France, capital of the depart ment of Aveyron, 312 miles S. from Paris, is situated in 44' 21' 5* N. 1st., 2' 34 48' E. long., at an elevation of 2073 feet above the level of the sea, and had 8267 inhabitants in the commune at the census of 1851. The town stands on a considerable eminence on the northern bank of the Aveyron, and nearly 500 feet above the bed of the river. It is surrounded by ancient walla, which have been converted into • terraced walk or garden. The streets, from the rapid slope of the bill on which the town is built, are steep; they are also narrow, and lined with ill-built wooden house's with projecting upper stories, which are however being gradually displaced by others of better architecture. There are four ' places,' or squares, two of them of tolerably regular form. The cathedral is built in the gothic style, and dates from the earlier part of the I5th century. The size of the nave, the boldness of the vaulted roof, the beauty of the stained-glass windows, and the height of the bell-tower (to which some writers assign an elevation of above 265 English feet) render it a striking edifice. The office of
the prefect is a modern building; the other chief publics buildings are the Jesnita' college and the seminary for the priesthood. The inhabitants manufacture woollen-yarn, woollen-frieze, urges, and other woollen stuffs, hats, wax and other candles, and playing-cards. There are tan-yards and dye-houses. The trade of the place is in manu factured articles, in the wool grown in the neighbourhood, and in cheese. There are four yearly fairs. Silk-worms are revs ad, and mules for the Spanish market are bred round the town. Rodez gives title to a bishop, whose diocese comprehends the department. It has several government offices, an exchange, a chamber of manufactures, an agricultural society, an hospital, cabinets of natural history and of natural philosophy, • publio library of 15,000 volumes, a deaf and dumb school, a theatre, and publio baths. Rodez occupies the site of the ancient Segodunum, chief town of the Ruteni, a Celtic tribe, whose name was afterwards given to it.