LOUDUN, capital of an arrondissement in the department of Vienne, France, stands on an eminence of 320 feet, overlooking a fertile plain, 45 miles (by rail) southwest from Tours. It was formerly surrounded by walls, of which only two towers and a single gateway now remain. Of the old castle which was destroyed under Richelieu, and of which the site is now turned into a public promenade, a fine old rectangular donjon of the 12th century has been preserved; at its base traces of Roman constructions have been found, with fragments of porphyry pavement, mosaics, and mural paintings. The Carmelite convent, now occupied by the Brethren of Christian Doctrine, was the scene of the trial of Urban Grandier, who was burnt alive for witchcraft in 1634 (see Bayle’s Dictionnaire) · the old Byzantine church of Sainte Croix, of which he was curé, is now used as a market. There are several curious old houses in the town. Lace making and candle making are the chief industries, and there is a considerable trade in grain and flour. Before the revocation of the edict of Nantes the inhabitants numbered, it is said, more than 12,000; in 1876 the population was 4522.