LAUSANNE, lo'zfin' (Lat. Lausonium). Capital of the Swiss Canton of Vaud. situated about one mile north of Lake Geneva, and nearly 500 feet above the level of the lake (Map: Switz erland, A 2). It lies largely on the lower slopes of Mont Jorat. and consists of several quarter: on both sides of the Hon, which has been partly filled up. A two-story viaduct known as the Grand Pont connects the quarters of Saint-Fran e0is and Saint-Laurent. The Place de In Riponne is the finest square. The imposing cathedral. built in 1235-75 and recently restored. is Gothic and of fine proportions. It is noted as the scene of a disputation in 1536 which was participated in by Calvin. Fare]. and Viret. and which re sulted in the secession of the canton from the Catholic Church. On a hill west of the tom] stands the National Supreme Court of Appeals. a handsome Renaissance buiblino designed by Recordon. The old town hall. and the prison, modeled after the Pennsylvania system, the theatre, the new post-office, the cantonal bank, and the university are also notable buildings.
The educational institutions of Lausanne are numerous and excellent. The university. founded in 1530 as an academy for Protestant ministers, and constituted a university in ISOI, has five faculties and an attendance I if about 600 students.
There arc schools for instruction in agriculture and viticulture, and numerous boarding-schools patronized by foreigners. The cantonal library has nearly 125.000 volumes. The cantonal mu seum contains natural history collections, relies from ancient Lausanne, remains from lake dwell ings. coins, medals, etc. The charitable institu tions include a noted blind asylum and a splen did insane asylum. The manufactures consist chiefly of machinery, tobacco, and chocolate. There is some trade in grain and lumber, and in the wines of the vicinity. The port of Lausanne is the adjoining town of Onehy.
Lausanne is a favorite place of sojourn for English and Germans, and has been the residence of many distinguished persons. Population, in ISIS, 31.049; in 1900. 47.444. The inhabitants are mostly Protestants. and speak French. Lau sanne was probably founded at the beginning, of the sixth century. It became the seat of a bishopric in 590. It remained under the rule of its bishops (who attained princely rank in 1125) until the hitrodnetion of the Reformation in 1536, when it came under the control of Bern. In 180:3 it was made the capital of the newly created Canton of Vaud.