FRANCAVILLA, a city of the province of Otranto, in the kingdom of Naples. It is situated in the centre of the province, and surrounded with several small lakes. It contains 11,108 inhabitants, who grow much cotton, and make it into various kinds of goods. It also produces good wine, and has considerable internal trade. FRACTION. In Surgery, a rupture of a bone, or a laceration of a wound in a bone, when it is crushed or broken by some violent cause. See Surgery.