VILLACH  , a

town in Carinthia, Austria, 24 M . W. of Klagenfurt by rail . Pop . (1900) 969o . It is situated on the Drave, near its confluence with the Gail, in a broad fertile basin at the foot of the Dobratsch or Villacher Alp (7107 ft.) . The parish church is an interesting Gothic edifice of the 15th century . The principal industry of Villach consists in the fabrication of various lead wares, and is mostly dependent on the lead mines of Bleiberg, which is situated about 9 M. to the west . This village (pop . 3435) is one of the richest lead-mining centres in Europe . The ores found here comprise silver-free galena, sulphate of zinc and calamine . The mines were already worked during the middle ages . Warmbad Villach, a watering-place with hot sulphur baths, and Mittewald, a favourite summer resort, whence the ascent of the Dobratsch can be made, are in the neighbour-hood of Villach .

Some of the prettiest Carinthian lakes are to be found near Villach, as the Ossiacher-see, on whose

southern shore stands the ruined castle of Landskron, dating from the middle of the 16th century, the Worther-see and the small but lovely Faaker-see . Villach is an old town, which was given by Heinrich II. to the bishopric of Bamberg in 1007 . During the middle ages it was an important centre of commerce between Germany and Italy . With the advent of new trade routes at the beginning of modern times the town lost its importance, and in 1745 the citizens nearly decided to emigrate en masse . Its trade revived during the French occupation of 1809–13, and it continued to improve during the 19th century . The Turks were defeated here in 1492 by Maximilian I., and an engagement between the Austrians and the French took place here on the 21st of August 1813 .