382 
y i e 
appearance of the exterior is very irregular, and resembles a 
palace in little except in its mass. The interior is, however, 
highly interesting, on account of the valuable collections 
which it contains. The riding academy of Vienna is said 
to be one of the largest in Europe; but it is surpassed by an 
assembly room called the Hall of Apollo, which is said to 
be capable of containing 10,000 people. The Belvidere, a 
palace built by prince Eugene, is in one of the suburbs. It 
stands partly on the top, partly at the foot of an eminence, 
and commands an extensive prospect. The imperial mews 
are capable of containing more than 400 horses. The arsenal 
contains an immense collection of arms, and many curious 
ornaments, all of iron. All these edifices belong either to 
government or the imperial family. In regard to nobility, 
there is hardly a capital in Europe that can boast so many 
titled personages among its permanent inhabitants: the num¬ 
ber is not overrated at 20 princes, 70 counts, and 50 barons. 
The charitable institutions at Vienna are numerous, and 
richly endowed. The great hospital, equal in extent to any 
in Paris or London, receives often 10,000 patients in the 
course of a year. There are separate hospitals for the sol¬ 
diers, for Jews, for foundlings, orphans, and aged persons. 
Several of these charitable establishments are served by nuns. 
The lying-in hospitals are also on a liberal plan, and under 
good management. The roads leading to Vienna are few, 
compared to the approaches to London or Paris. 
The university of Vienna dates from 1237. It was long 
under the management of the Jesuits, till the celebrated Von 
Swieten prevailed on the court, in the middle of the 18th 
century, to take it out of their hands, and to give a great 
extension to the medical department. A botanical garden 
was .established; medical men were sent to the most cele¬ 
brated seminaries in Europe, to observe the stale of the 
science; a military hospital and an anatomical theatre were 
founded; and at a subsequent date a veterinary school. In 
consequence of this patronage, and of the great extent of 
practice afforded in so large a city, Vienna is by far the first 
medical school in Germany. The university of Vienna con¬ 
tains also public classes for philosophy, the classical lan¬ 
guages, literature, law, theology, without, however, surpass¬ 
ing in these departments, the seminaries of Gottingen, Leipsic, 
and Halle. The total number of professors is 54; that of 
assistants 18. The observatory is not well placed: it stands 
unluckily in the midst of the city. 
The imperial library is very extensive: it is contained in a 
large hall, 260 feet in length, and 150 in breadth; and is 
said to consist of 12,000 manuscripts, and 300,000 printed 
volumes. Next to this comes the library of the university, 
computed at 90,000 volumes. The imperial collection 
of medals and coins is reckoned the most complete in Eu¬ 
rope. 
The principal amusements of the people of Vienna are the 
public walks and the theatres. Of the latter there are no 
less than five; two in the city, which belong to the court, 
and three in the suburbs; but all are below mediocrity. 
The environs of Vienna are very fertile and picturesque. 
To the north are the islands of the Danube; to the west, the 
lofty summit of the Kahlenberg; to the south, mountains 
covered with vineyards and extensive forests; and to the east, 
vast plains, bounded, however, at the farthest horizon, by 
hills. The chief part of the town and its environs may be 
seen from the Belvidere. A more complete view may be 
obtained from the top of the tower of the cathedral, and a 
still better from the top of the Kahlenberg. 
Corn, butchers’ meat, and wine, are supplied in a great 
measure from Hungary; vegetables from the district around 
the capital. For fuel, the inhabitants use partly wood, partly 
coals and turf. The water drank in Vienna is not in general 
good ; and is often found to disagree with strangers. Nor is 
the climate of Vienna equally healthy with that of London 
or Paris. Population about 270,000. 
Vienna was, under the name of Vindobona, long the head 
quarters of a Roman legion, and afterwards fell successively 
into the hands of the Goths and Huns. In 791, Charlemagne 
having extended his conquests through the south of Germany, 
N N A. 
attached it to his dominions. At that time, and for more 
than two centuries after, it was of inconsiderable extent; the 
church of St. Stephen, which is now nearly in its centre, 
having, when erected in 1144, been outside of the walls. 
The town continued, however, to increase progressively, 
being the general residence of the Austrian government, and 
favoured in its mercantile communication, by the vicinity of 
the Danube. The most remarkable incidents in its history 
are its capture, in 1484, by the Hungarians, under their king 
Mathias, who resided in it till his death, after which it was 
restored to Austria. In 1529, the Turks, supported by Hun¬ 
garian insurgents, ventured to approach this capital, and 
though unable to take the city, destroyed the suburbs. In 
1619, the Bohemian insurgents, supported by a party in 
Austria, succeeded in penetrating into the city; but a different 
result took place on an attempt made in 1625 by Torsten- 
son, a Swedish general, commanding a mixed army of his 
countrymen and of German Protestants. But the attack most 
generally known to the readers of history was that of 16S3, 
made by a Turkish army, supported by disaffected chiefs in 
Hungary, but repulsed under the governor Sobieski. In 
1741, though pressed by the Bavarians on the west, and the 
French and Prussians on the north, Vienna was preserved; 
and an increase of the army, with financial supplies from 
England, soon changed the aspect of affairs. In the present 
age, it was threatened by Buonaparte in 1797, and occupied 
by him in 1805 and 1809. On both occasions proper dis¬ 
cipline was observed by the invaders, and little injury was 
done. Vienna suffered from the ravages of the plague, first 
in 1679, and afterwards in 1713; 630 miles east of Paris, 
and 896 south-east of London. Lat. 48. 12. 34. N. long. 
16. 22. 31. E. 
VIENNA, a post township of the United States, in Kenne- 
beck county, Maine; 26 miles north-w’est of Augusta. 
Population 417.—2. A post township of the United States, 
in Trumbull county, Ohio.—3. A town of the United States, 
the capital of Green county, Kentucky.—4. A town of the 
United States, in South Carolina, situated on the Savannah, 
which is here only navigable for boats of 30 tons. It is 
about 296 miles from the sea.—5. A post town and port of 
entry of the United States, in Dorchester county, Maryland, 
on the Nanticoke; 19 miles south-east of Cambridge.—6. A 
town of the United States, in Washington county, Ohio, 
situated on the Ohio river; 7 miles below Marietta. 
VIENNE, a river of France, which rises in the Limousin, 
and flowing northward, joins the Loire, in the department of 
the Indre and Loire, two miles above Saumur. 
VIENNE, a department in the west of France, formed 
of the ancient province of Upper Poitou, and bounded on 
the north by the department of the Indre and Loire, on the 
south by that of the Charente. It has a superficial extent of 
2800 square miles, and a population of 252,000, all Ca¬ 
tholics, with the exception of about 13,000 Protestants. The 
surface is for the most part level. The principal rivers are 
the Vienne, the Charente, the Dive, the Clain, and the 
Creuse. The capital is Poitiers. 
VIENNE, Upper, a department in the west of France, 
including the greatest part of the Limousin, and traversed 
by the river Vienne, which flows northward to the Loire. 
It has a superficial extent of 2230 square miles, and a popu¬ 
lation of 240,000. 
VIENNE, a town in the south-east of France, on the right 
bank of the Rhone. Vines are cultivated in the neighbour¬ 
hood, well known by the name of cote rotic ; 18 miles 
south of Lyons. 
VIENNE LE CHATEAU, a town of France, depart¬ 
ment of the Marne. It adjoins the small river Biesme, 
and has 170.0 inhabitants; 9 miles north-west of Clermont. 
VIER.GEN, a village of the Austrian states, in Tyrol, on 
the borders of Salzburg. Population 2500. 
VIERLANDS, four islands in the Elbe, near Hamburg, 
belonging in common to that city and Lubeck. They are 
New Gamme, Old Ganime, Kirchwerder, and Kosslacke. 
They form four parishes, as$ contain 6700 inhabitants. 
VIERLINGSBECK, a small inland town of the Nether¬ 
lands, 
