LA VILLEMARQUÉ, THÉODORE CLAUDE HENRI, VICOMTE HERSART DE (1815-1895), French philologist and man of letters, was born at Keransker, near Quimperlé, on the 6th of July 1815. He was descended from an old Breton family, which counted among its members a Hersart who had followed Saint Louis to the Crusade, and another who was a companion in arms of Du Guesclin. La Villemarqué devoted himself to the elucidation of the monuments of Breton literature. Introduced in 1851 by Jacob Grimm as correspondent to the Academy of Berlin, he became in 1858 a member of the Academy of Inscriptions. His works include: _Contes populaires des anciens Bretons_ (1842), to which was prefixed an essay on the origin of the romances of the Round Table; _Essai sur l'histoire de la langue bretonne_ (1837); _Poèmes des bardes bretons du sixième siècle_ (1850); _La Légende celtique en Irelande, en Cambrie et en Bretagne_ (1859). The popular Breton songs published by him in 1839 as _Barzaz Breiz_ were considerably retouched. La Villemarqué's work has been superseded by the work of later scholars, but he has the merit of having done much to arouse popular interest in his subject. He died at Keransker on the 8th of December 1895.
On the subject of the doubtful authenticity of Barzaz Breiz, see Luzel's Preface to his _Chansons populaires de la Basse-Bretagne_, and, for a list of works on the subject, the _Revue Celtique_ (vol. v.).
LAVINIUM, an ancient town of Latium, on the so-called Via Lavinatis (see LAURENTINA, VIA), 19 m. S. of Rome, the modern PRATICA, situated 300 ft. above sea-level and 2½ m. N.E. from the sea-coast. Its foundation is attributed to Aeneas (whereas Laurentum was the primitive city of King Latinus), who named it after his wife Lavinia. It is rarely mentioned in Roman history and often confused with Lanuvium or Lanivium in the text both of authors and of inscriptions. The custom by which the consuls and praetors or dictators sacrificed on the Alban Mount and at Lavinium to the Penates and to Vesta, before they entered upon office or departed for their province, seems to have been one of great antiquity. There is no trace of its having continued into imperial times, but the cults of Lavinium were kept up, largely by the imperial appointment of honorary non-resident citizens to hold the priesthoods. The citizens of Lavinium were known under the empire as Laurentes Lavinates, and the place itself at a late period as Laurolavinium. It was deserted or forgotten not long after the time of Theodosius.