Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Gradisca

GRADISCA, a town of Austria, in the principality of Gorz and Gradisca, situated about 10 miles S.W. of Gorz, on the right bank of the Isonzo. It was formerly a strongly fortified place, but its citadel is now occupied as a prison. The inhabitants of the commune, who numbered in 1869 rather more than 3000, are engaged in silk spinning. Be tween 1471 and 1481 Gradisca was fortified by the Venetians, but in 1511 they surrendered it to the imperial forces. ^ In 1647 Gradisca and its territory, including Aquileia and forty-three smaller places, was erected into a prince-countship in favour of the prince of Eggenberg. It lapsed in 1717 to the imperial crown, and in 1754 was completely incorporated with Gorz. The name was revived by the constitution of 1861, which established the crown- land of the countship of Gorz and Gradisca. See GORZ. 1 For a valuable monograph on the various species of Gracula and its allies see Prof. Schlegel s Bijdrage tot de Kennis van het Gcsch- lacht Beo (Nederlandsch Tydschri/t voor de Dierkunde, i. pp. 1 -9).