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. |