a department of France, bounded on the N. by those of Maine-et-Loire and Indre-et-Loire; E. by those of Indre and Haute Vienne; S. by that of Charente; and W. by that of Deux Sèvres. Length, from N. to S., 80 miles; greatest breadth, 51; area, 2692 square miles. The surface is much diversified with hills, which nowhere rise to the height of mountains. The chain of hills which, under the name of the heights of Gâtine, extends from the central mountains of France N.W. to the mouth of the Loire, traverses the S.W. of this department, and sends off a branch to the N.E. in the W. of the department. The central portion, too, is occupied by another series of high grounds, but the extreme E. of the Vienne is low. Nearly the whole country is watered by affluents of the Loire; but a small portion in the extreme S.W. is traversed by the Charente. The river that gives its name to the department is one of the chief tributaries of the Loire. It enters from the S., flows northwards for about 56 miles, and receives most of the other rivers of Vienne. Of these the most important are the Claine, the Dive, and the Vaude, which join it from the left; the Grande-Blourde, the Ozon, and the Creuse from the right; the last of which, however, only flows along the border of the department. The Dive, an affluent of the Thône, flows for some distance in the west. It and the Vienne are the only navigable rivers. In the N.E. of the country chalky strata prevail, but the geological structure of the remainder consists of secondary rocks; and among the minerals the most important are iron, marble, granite, limestone, millstones, whetstones, and lithographic-stones. The character of the soil is various; in some places it is poor, and in others pretty productive. The climate, though variable, is mild and healthy, except in the west of the country, where there are swamps that render the air insalubrious. By far the largest proportion of the entire area is occupied by arable land, on which wheat, rye, oats, hemp, flax, peas, and potatoes are the principal crops grown. The produce of corn is considerably more than the home consumption. A pretty large extent of ground is occupied by vineyards, but the wine made is not of the best quality. On the extensive natural and artificial pastures large numbers of live stock are raised; and the horses, mules, and sheep are of good breeds. There are many orchards of fruit-trees; and the natural forests afford abundance of chestnuts, which form an article of food to the poor. Besides agriculture and the working of mines and quarries, the inhabitants are largely employed in manufactures. Of these, the most important is that of arms and cutlery at Châtellerault. There are also made in the department coarse woollen cloth, lace, saddlery, and starch; and there are forges, furnaces, bleachfields, &c. The department is traversed by numerous roads, and by the railway from Paris to Bordeaux, from which another line diverges at Poitiers to Rochelle. Vienne has for its capital Poitiers, and is divided into five arrondissements as follows:

| Arrondissements | Cantons | Communes | Pop. (1856) | |-----------------|---------|----------|------------| | Poitiers | 10 | 82 | 113,418 | | Châtellerault | 6 | 59 | 60,568 | | Civray | 5 | 45 | 49,877 | | Loudun | 4 | 63 | 36,000 | | Montmorillon | 6 | 60 | 62,724 | | Total | 31 | 300 | 322,585 |

a town of France, capital of an arrondissement, in the department of Isère, at the confluence of the Rhone with the small river Gere, 49 miles N.N.W. of Grenoble. It is encircled on three sides by hills, and on the west by the Rhone, and is traversed by the Gere. It is an ancient ill-built town, with narrow, steep, and irregular streets, and a few smart squares. The lower and more modern part of the town is somewhat better, and has a good quay along the bank of the Rhone. The principal edifice is the old Gothic cathedral, considered one of the finest in France. It has two lofty towers, and is richly but not very tastefully ornamented. There are also here an ancient abbey; a handsome college, that formerly belonged to the Jesuits; a public library and museum; corn-exchange; hospital; and barracks. Vienne has numerous manufactories, among which are silk-mills, dyeworks, woollen and linen factories, paper-mills, tanneries, glassworks, soapworks, and foundries for copper and lead. An important trade is carried on in wine, cloth, iron, steel, copper, lead, and zinc. The town was called by the Romans Vienna Allobrogum, and some ancient Roman remains still exist in and near it. Pop. (1856) 18,458.

VIENNE Haute, a department of France, bounded on the N. by those of Vienne and Indre, E. by that of Creuse, S. by those of Corrèze and Dordogne, and W. by that of Charente. Length, from N. to S., 60 miles; greatest breadth, 50; area, 2130 square miles. The surface is crossed by two chains of hills, nearly parallel to each other. One of these is the heights of Gâtine, traversing the S. of the department, and reaching the highest point here in Mont Jargau, 3114 feet high. The other chain of hills is further north, near the centre of the department, separating the valley of the Vienne on the S. from that of its affluent the Garonne on the N. It is about the same height as the heights of Gâtine; its highest summit, Le Puy le Vieux, being 3196 feet high. The rivers already mentioned are the principal ones in the department. They both flow nearly due west, and neither is navigable. In the extreme south, the Tardoire and Bandiat, affluents of the Charente, and the Dronne, Isle, and Loue, affluents of the Garonne, rise on the slope of the Gâtine hills, but after a short course leave the department. The prevailing geological formations in the whole department is the primary and early secondary rocks; and the principal minerals are iron, copper, lead, antimony, coal, granite, limestone, porcelain, clay, and felspar. The soil is on the whole not very fertile, and is ill suited for the cultivation of wheat, but it affords excellent pasturage. The climate is cold, moist, and variable. The arable land forms considerably less than half of the entire area; and the produce of corn is insufficient for the home consumption. Rye and buck-wheat are the principal crops raised; beans and pease are also cultivated. The rearing of live stock is well attended to, and there are extensive meadows and pasture-grounds, as well as unclosed heaths and commons. The horses are of excellent breed; and they, as well as the mules, sheep, horned cattle, and swine, are very numerous. There are extensive vineyards, but only ordinary red wine is obtained here. Forests occupy a great part of the hills, consisting in the upper parts of pine and birch, and further down of oak, chestnut, and walnut trees. Many of the inhabitants are employed in mining and in working iron, which is the most important production of the country. There are also manufactories of coarse woollen and linen cloth, paper, leather, glass, pottery, and nails. Commerce is facilitated by numerous roads, and by a railway that traverses the department. The capital is Limoges; and there are four arrondissements as follows:

| Arrondissements | Cantons | Communes | Pop. (1856) | |-----------------|---------|----------|------------| | Limoges | 10 | 78 | 142,269 | | Saint-Yrieix | 4 | 26 | 49,957 | | Bellac | 8 | 53 | 83,078 | | Rochechouart | 5 | 39 | 50,483 | | Total | 27 | 199 | 319,787 |