A Literary Tour de France
Toulouse
Summary
| Population: | 54,000 in 1780. |
| Book Trade: | twenty-three booksellers and ten printers. Active book trade serving all southwestern of France, active printing industry and major pirating center. Guild, chambre syndicale, and inspector of the book trade. |
| Institutions: | capital of Languedoc, with parlement high court of justice, military government and admiralty, Hôtel des Monnaies mint, tax généralité, chamber of commerce, and archbishopric. Royal subdélégation. |
| Culture |
major cultural center, with university (renowned Faculty of Law), two large colleges, two learned academies, painting academy, drawing school, theater, concerts, newspapers, and reading cabinet (1781). Literacy (for entire département): male 19%, female 5%. Strong Protestant presence. |
| Communications: | port on Garonne river, near canal connecting Garonne with Mediterranean. Destination for one of France’s main diligence post roads out of Paris. Main stop on post road from Bordeaux to Marseille and Italy. |
| Economy: | commercial hub and entrepôt. Large trade in grain, timber, iron, olive oil, leather, cloth, wool, woolens, haberdashery, hardware, and jewelry. |