Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/309

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FOIX FOLDVAR 301 mined by capacious vaults call Q& fosse, in which quantities of grain are stored from year to year. There are many schools, including one of agriculture and a seminary for girls. The city is surrounded by fine plantations and vine- yards, but the climate is unhealthy. It has a considerable trade in cattle, cheese, capers, wine, oil, and other agricultural products, and is a staple market for corn and wool. One of the principal fairs in the kingdom is held here in May. Foggia is supposed to have been founded about the 9th century, and peopled from the ancient Arpi or Argyrippa, 5 m. dis- tant, the ruins of which are still visible. It was one of the favorite residences of the em- peror Frederick II., who built a palace here in 1223. A gateway of this palace and a large well sunk by Frederick still remain. Under the walls of the city, Manfred, Frede- rick's natural son, defeated the legate of Pope Innocent IV. and compelled him to sue for peace. Charles I. of Anjou built a fortified palace here, in which he and his son Philip died. FOIX, a town of S. France, capital of the department of Ariege, on the left bank of the river Ariege at its junction with the Arget, in a narrow valley at the foot of the Pyrenees, 404 m. S. of Paris, ancb 43 m. S. by E. of Toulouse, with which it is connected by rail ; pop. in 1866, 6,746. It has considerable trade and various manufactures, the principal of which is iron. It was founded probably about the 2d century, and in the llth century be- came the capital of a county, and was a strong- hold of importance. The county of Foix near- ly corresponded to the department of Ariege. FOIX, Counts of, a French family conspicuous from the llth to the beginning of the 16th cen- tury. RAYMOND ROGER reigned from 1188 to 1223. He engaged in the third crusade among the followers of Philip Augustus, and distin- guished himself by his bravery at the taking of Acre. After his return to France he sided with the count of Toulouse and the Albigenses against the crusading forces led by Simon de Montfort, and contributed to the raising of the siege of Toulouse, during which Montfort was killed. His son, ROGER BERNARD II., styled the Great, who succeeded him in 1223, followed his example, but in 1229 was forced into sub- mission to the king and the pope. ROGER BERNARD III. (1265-1302) gained considerable reputation as a troubadour, but was unsuccess- ful in his wars with the kings of France and Aragon; he was several times imprisoned. GASTON II. (1315-1343) did good service to Philip VI. of France in his war with the Eng- lish, and assisted Alfonso XI. of Castile against the Moors. GASTON III., son of the preceding, succeeded his father in 1343, when only 12 years old. He was called Phoebus on account either of his light hair or of a sun he bore on his escutcheon. He signalized himself against the English in Guienne and Languedoc, and in 1356 was imprisoned for a while at Paris for complicity in the intrigues of Charles the Bad of Navarre, his brother-in-law. On his release be fought bravely in the ranks of the Teutonic knights against the Prussians. Returning to France in 1358, he contributed to the defeat and destruction of the rebellious Jacquerie, who were besieging the royal chateau at Meaux. In 1362, by victory over the count d'Armagnac, he secured for himself possession of Beam; and the magnificence of -his court at Orthez and afterward at Pau was admired by Froissart. In 1380 he was appointed governor of Langue- doc by Charles V., but his dignity was contest- ed by the duke of Berry, whom he defeated at Revel. Gaston Phoebus was a famous hunts- man, and left a book entitled Miroir de Phebus, des deduicts de la chasse des lestes sauvaiges et des oyseaux de proie (fol., Paris, 1507). GAS- TON IV. (died in 1472) made himself conspic- uous by services as well as hostility to both Charles VII. and Louis XI. He married Eleo- nora, princess and afterward queen regnant of Navarre, who died in 1479 ; and her heiress Catherine de Foix marrying Jean d'Albret in 1484, the county of Foix was henceforth united with Navarre under that house. Her rights to the county were, however, long disputed by her uncle, Jean de Foix, viscount of Nar- bonne. A son of the latter was the hero and victim of the battle of Ravenna (April 11, 1512). (See GASTON DE Foix.) FOKIEN, a maritime province of China, bounded N. by Chekiang, W. and N. W. by Ki- angsi, S. by Kwangtung, and S. E. by the China sea ; area, 53,480 sq. m. ; pop. estimated in 1842 at 26,000,000. It abounds in bays and islands, including Amoy, Haitan, and part of Formo- sa. The Min and its tributaries are the prin- cipal rivers. The country, though generally mountainous, is exceedingly well cultivated. The hills are cut in terraces, and the valleys are beautiful and fertile ; and agriculture is greatly promoted by artificial irrigation. The products are excellent black tea, rice, wheat, barley, sweet potatoes, camphor, sugar, iron, indigo, tobacco, and alum. Porcelain and cloth are made. The chief imports are corn, drugs, fruits, and salted meats. Capital, Foochow. FOKSHAM, a frontier town of Roumania, 104 m. N. E. of Bucharest, divided by the river Milkov between the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia, the smaller part belonging to the latter ; pop. estimated at 20,000. The best Moldavian wine is produced in its vicinity. ^ A congress of Russian and Turkish diplomatists was held here in 1772. Near the town the Russians and Austrians defeated the Turks, July 21, 1789. FOLDVAR, or Dnna-Foldvr (Foldvar-on-the- Danube), a town of Hungary, in the county of Tolna, on the right bank of the Danube, 47 m. S. of Buda ; pop. in 1869, 12,382. It com- mands the communication between the upper and lower Danube, and is a depot for salt. The surrounding district is fertile, producing grains and wine; and the town has a considerable sturgeon fishery.