AUBENAS

aubenas, a town of south-eastern france, in the department of ardeche, 19 m. s.w. of privas by road. pop. (1906) 3976 (town), 7064 (commune). aubenas is beautifully situated on the slope of a hill, on the right bank of the ardeche, but its streets generally are crooked and narrow. it has a castle of the 13th and 16th centuries, now occupied by several of the public institutions of the town. these include a tribunal and chamber of commerce, and a conditioning-house for silk. iron and coal mines are worked in the vicinity. as the centre of the silk trade of southern france aubenas is a place of considerable traffic. it has also a large silk spinning and weaving industry, and carries on tanning and various minor industries together with trade in silk. the district is rich in plantations of mulberries and olives.