A Literary Tour de France
Besançon

Summary

Population: 25,000 in 1780.
Book Trade: thirteen booksellers and four printers. Pirated works brought in from nearby Switzerland. Guild and chambre syndicale (1777), and inspector of the book trade (1778).
Institutions: capital of Franche-Comté, with royal Intendance, military government, parlement high court of justice, Cour des aides and Chambre des comptes financial courts, tax généralité, and large archbishopric.
Culture university, two colleges, schools of artillery and surgery, learned academy, academy of painting, theater, concerts, newspaper, and three reading cabinets. Garrison town. very high literacy (for entire département): male: 81%, female 40%.
Communications: major stop on post road from Strasbourg to Lyon. On road from Paris and Dijon to Switzerland.
Economy: commercial city. Dairy, cheese, cattle, horses, wine, salt, iron and tin, wires, hardware, timber, cloth.

Booksellers in Besançon