A Literary Tour de France
Avignon
Summary
| Population: | 26,000 in 1780. |
| Book Trade: |
twenty printer booksellers. Major book trade center and large publishing industry flooding southern France with pirated editions. Declining in the late 1770s. Guild. |
| Institutions: |
capital of comtat Venaissin, a papal enclave within France. Archbishopric. |
| Culture |
university, two colleges, theater, and gazette. literacy (for entire département): male 20%, female 8%. |
| Communications: |
port on the Rhône river. Destination and major stop on the post road from Lyon. Branching point for Marseille and Montpellier. |
| Economy: |
commercial city. Silk, gun powder, salt, and books. Smuggling and pirating. Wine and olive oil. |