dc Estrella in 1107; a number of interesting churches, such as Santo Tomas, with the beautiful tomb of Prince Juan, San Vincenti, with its remarkable carving, and Nuestra Seraf. Madre Santa Teresa, built over the birthplace of the patroness of Spain (who here founded the convent of St Joseph); as well as several monasteries and schools, an infirmary, and a foundling hospital. It was formerly the seat of a university, which was founded in 1482, and changed into the college of St Thomas in 1807. The only manufacture of any importance is the spinning of the wool furnished by the native sheep. Population, 6892.
AVILA, GIL GONZALEZ D , a Spanish biographer and
antiquary, was born at Avila about the year 1577, and
died there in 1658. He was made historiographer of Castile
in 1612, and of the Indies in 1641. Of his numerous
works, the most valuable are his Teatro de las Grandezas
de Madrid (Madrid, 1623, sqq.}, and his Teatro Eclesiastico,
descriptive of the metropolitan churches and cathedrals
of Castile, with lives of the prelates (Madrid, 1645-53, 4
vols. 4to).
AVILA Y ZUNIGA, Luis D', author of a Spanish history of the wars of Charles V. Nothing is known as to the place or date either of his birth or of his death. He was probably of low origin, but married a wealthy heiress of the house of Zuniga, whose name he added to his own. He rose rapidly in the favour of the Emperor Charles V., served in the army and as ambassador to Rome, and was present at the funeral of Charles in 1558. His work is
entitled Comentarios de la Guerra de Alemaña, hecha de Carlos V. en el año de 1546 y 1547, and appears to have been printed in 1548. It became very popular, and was translated into English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, and Latin. As was to be expected from the position of the author, the book gave a rather one-sided account of Charles, and its misrepresentations have been severely criticised.
AVILES, San Nicolas de (the Latin Flavionavia), a town of Spain, in the province of Oviedo, about a league from the sea-coast, in lat. 43° 34′ N., long. 5° 58′ W. It has a considerable trade by means of its port, which affords good anchorage for all classes of vessels. There are here some copper works and coal mines, and the stone quarries are extensive and productive. Aviles has two parish churches, a theatre, and a public school. Population, 3297.
AVLONA, or Valona (the ancient Αὐλών), a town and seaport of Albania, in the eyalet of Yanina. It stands on an eminence near the Gulf of Avlona, an inlet of the Adriatic, almost surrounded by mountains. The port, which is protected by the island of Sasseno, the ancient Saso, is the best on the Albanian coast. It is visited weekly by Austrian steamers, and carries on considerable intercourse with Brindisi, &c. The town is about a mile and a half from the sea, and has rather a pleasant appearance with its minarets and its palace, surrounded with gardens and olive-groves. The Christian population, of which a considerable proportion are Italians, is largely engaged in commerce ; while the Turks manufacture woollen stuffs and arms. The material imported into England for tanning, under the name of Valonia, is the pericarp of an acorn produced in the district. Avlona played an important part in the wars between the Normans and the Byzantine empire. In 1464 it was taken by the Ottomans; and after being in Venetian possession in 1690, was restored to them in 1691. In 1851 it suffered severely from an earthquake.
AVOIRDUPOIS, or Averdupois, the name of a system of weights, commonly supposed to be derived from the French, avoir du pois, to have weight. The suggested derivation from averer, to verify, seems, however, more probable, averdupois being the earlier form of the word. Avoirdupois weight is used for all commodities except the precious metals, gems, and medicines. The pound avoirdupois, which is equal to 7000 grains troy, or 453·54 grammes, is divided into 16 ounces, and the ounce into 16 drams. See Weights and Measures.
AVOLA, a city on the coast of Sicily, in the province
of Syracuse, with 11,912 inhabitants. It manufactures
straw-mats, and has trade in wine, grain, oil, honey, &c.;
and there are sugar plantations.
AVON, the name of several rivers in England, Scotland, and France. The word is Celtic, appearing in Welsh as afon, in Manx as aon, and in Gaelic as abhuinn (pronounced avain), and is radically identical with the Sanskrit ap, water, and the Latin aqua and amnis. The root appears more or less disguised in a vast number of river names all over the Celtic area in Europe. Thus, besides such forms as Evan, Aune, Anne, Ive, Auney, Inney, &c., in the British Islands, we have Aff and Aven in Brittany, Avenza and Avens in Italy, Avia in Portugal, and Avono in Spain ; while the terminal syllable of a large proportion of the French rivers, such as the Sequana, the Matrona, the Garumna, and so on, seems originally to have been the same word. The names Punjab, Doab, &c., show the root in a clearer shape. (See Taylor's Words and Places.) Of the principal English rivers of this name in its full form three belong to the basin of the Severn. The Upper or Shakespearean Avon, rising in Northamptonshire, near the battlefield of Naseby, flows through Warwickshire, Worcester, and Gloucester, past Rugby, Warwick, Stratford, and Evesham, and joins the larger river at Tewkesbury ; while the Lower Avon has its sources on the borders of Wiltshire, and enters the estuary of the Severn at King's Roads, after passing Malmesbury, Bath, and Bristol. (See Ireland's Upper Avon ; Lewis's Book of English Rivers, 1855.) The Middle or Little Avon has its whole course in Gloucestershire, and reaches the Severn a short distance below the town of Berkeley. Another river of this name rises in Wilts, and flows past Salisbury to the British Channel. In Scotland one is a tributary of the Clyde, another belongs to the basin of the Forth, and a third joins its waters with the Annan, while an Aven is a confluent of the Spey. In France there are two “ Avons” in the system of the Loire, and two in that of the Seine.
AVRANCHES (ancient Abrincatce, or Ingena], a town of France, in the department of Manche. It was an important military station of the Romans, and has in more modern times sustained several sieges, the most noticeable of which was the result of its opposition to Henry IV. It stands on a wooded hill, commanding a fine view of the bay and rock of St Michel, about three miles distant. At the foot of the hill flows the river Sée, which at high tide is navigable from the sea. The principal trade is in corn, cider, and salt ; and candles, lace, nails, parchment, leather, &c., are manufactured. Avranches was formerly a bishop s see ; and its cathedral, destroyed as insecure in the time of the first French Revolution, was the finest in Normandy. Its site is now occupied by an open place, called after the celebrated Huet, bishop of Avranches ; and one stone remains with an inscription marking it out as the spot where Henry II. received absolution for the murder of A Becket. Saint-Saturnin's church dates from the 13th century, and has a remarkable gateway. The ancient episcopal palace is now used as a museum of antiquities ; and an extensive public library is kept in the “mairie.” A new cathedral is in course of erection. The agreeable situation and climate of this town make it a favourite residence of English families. Population in 1872, 8137.
AXHOLM, or AXELHOLM, an island in the N.W. part of
Lincolnshire, England, formed by the rivers Trent, Idle, and
Don. It consists mainly of a plateau of slight elevation,
