French city of Angoulême (Poitou-Charentes region). French city Angoulême (Poitou-Charentes region) History and heritage

24.11.2020

Angoulême – small town in western France, located on a flat hill, between the Charente and Enghien rivers, 135 kilometers from Bordeaux. Story settlement begins in the 4th century and during its long existence it was repeatedly plundered, but despite everything, it grew and developed. By the 20th century, paper production was organized here, book printing was developing, leather, weapons and wax factories were operating, and a gunpowder and foundry operated in the vicinity of the city. In modern times, Angoulême has become famous as a city with big amount festivals: since 1974, the largest comic book festival in Europe has been held annually, since 1998 - an animated film festival, music and gastronomy festivals are held in May, October and December of each year.

First mention: 379;
Area: 22 km²;
Time zone: UTC+1, summer UTC+2;
Population: 43,200.

Transport accessibility

The city has its own airport, located 12 kilometers from the center and serving both local and international flights. Upon arrival, you can get to Angoulême by regular bus. It is also possible to use taxi services.

The railway closely connects the city with Paris, Bordeaux, Limoges, Poitiers, Chatellerault and La Rochelle.

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Climate

The climate in this area is moderately warm, characterized by mild winters and lack of heat in the summer. The minimum temperatures in January are +4...+6⁰C, in July the air warms up to +20...+25⁰C. The bulk of precipitation occurs between November and February, so despite the mild winter, the optimal weather for traveling to Angoulême is spring and summer.

What to see

The Charente River divides the city into Old and New parts. Preserved in the Old Town a large number of medieval buildings, and all the architectural attractions are located here. The new city is represented by modern buildings.

The symbol of Angoulême is its Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Peter. The church belongs to the Roman Catholic denomination; its original construction dates back to the 6th century. Then the temple was burned by the Norman conquerors and a new cathedral was erected in its place in the 11th century, which was modified again 100 years later. The last restoration of the church was carried out in the 19th century and currently the façade of the cathedral is decorated with arcades and about 70 beautiful religious sculptures.

One of the outstanding architectural structures The city is served by the Town Hall building. The administrative building became an administrative building only in the 19th century; initially, a castle was erected here in the 13th century. The multifaceted and round towers from the 14th and 15th centuries, respectively, have survived from the medieval buildings. Under the leadership of the talented architect Paul Abadie, the palace was rebuilt into the city hall, maintaining its Gothic-Renaissance style. Also, some administration premises are allocated for the exhibition of the museum of archeology and painting.

Poetry fans will be interested in visiting the museum of the 19th-century novelist Alfred de Vigny, located in the ancient 16th-century Men-Giraud estate. The writer spent his entire life on the estate, and in addition to his creative activities, he was engaged in winemaking. The museum exhibits include furniture, photographs and documents. The entire mansion is available for inspection, including the tower in which Alfred de Vigny’s office was located. The poet's home winery, where he organized a small production of brandy, has also been preserved.

When you arrive with children, visit the city park, which is well equipped with quiet alleys for quiet walks, children’s playgrounds and sports grounds for active rest, and there are also year-round heated attractions. The park has free parking and a large number of cafes and restaurants.

In the last century, a large racing track was built through Angoulême, running on top of the ancient ramparts that once served as a defensive structure and surrounded the medieval city. Currently, this track hosts annual retro races with the participation of pre-war car models. The ramparts surrounding the perimeter of the city now belong to historical monuments, where excursion tours are conducted for tourists and city guests.

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French city Angoulême (Poitou-Charentes region)

The French city of Angoulême is a settlement that is the center of the Charente department, which is located 134 kilometers north of Bordeaux. In fact, the city is located on a gentle hill between the Charente and Anghien rivers.

The cathedral of Angouleme was once a center for paper production. There were many factories here, employing thousands of workers, which contributed to the prosperity of the city.

But the industry collapsed in the 1980s, and today only a few small, specialized factories remain in operation. However, the economy has since recovered, especially the tourism industry.

In the past, however, former capital The province of Angoumois was a coveted prize for many, and was fiercely fought over during the Anglo-French skirmishes of the 14th century and the Wars of Religion of the 16th century, when it became a Protestant stronghold. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, a considerable part of the city's population (including many skilled paper manufacturers) emigrated to Holland forever.

A Brief History of Angoulême

The French city of Angoulême (Poitou-Charentes region) stands on the site of the ancient Inculisma Aquitaine. From 379 this colony was the seat of a bishop, and was subsequently renamed Ecolisma or Encolisma. Clovis took it from the Visigoths in 507 and laid it in Cathedral. Already at that time it was a fairly significant city, and in the following centuries Angoulême played an important role in military history. In the 9th century the city was sacked by the Normans.

The area in which Angouleme lies was formerly called Angoumois and in the old days, from the 9th century, was a county. The male tribe of the Counts of Angoumois crossed in 1218 with the death of Aimard Taillefer; The county, through the female heir, Isabella (the second wife of John the Landless), passed to the house of Lusignan. In 1302, when Hugh XIII of Lusignan died without male heirs, Philip the Fair annexed this county to his possessions, and since then it has been an appanage with the title of count for members of the royal house (except for the period 1360-1373, when the city belonged to the English) .

Since 1394, Angouleme has been the inheritance of the Dukes of Orleans, the younger branch of the dynasty. Thus, the youngest son of Louis of Orleans, Jean, was Count of Angoulême, and his grandson ascended the throne under the name Francis I. The latter in 1515 renamed this county into a duchy and gave it to his mother, Louise of Savoy. By this time the "duchy", firmly held by the monarch, remained so in name only.

The title of Duke of Angoulême was borne by the third son of Francis I, Charles (died 1545), who, as the son-in-law of Charles V, fell to the lot of concluding peace between France and Spain. Charles IX also bore the title of Duke of Angoulême before his accession to the throne. The last Duke of Angoulême was Louis Antoine (1775-1844), who ruled for a few minutes in 1830 under the name of Louis XIX.

Also in Angoulême the famous architect J.B. was born and died. Vallin-Delamot is a corresponding member of the Paris Academy of Architecture, who worked in Russia from 1759 to 1775 and was a professor at the Academy of Arts. Since the 14th century, paper manufactories, and subsequently printing houses, flourished in the city thanks to the year-round availability clean water almost constant temperature coming from underground rivers. According to ESBE, by the end of the 19th century there were 21 large paper mills, distilleries, wax factories, tanneries and weapons factories in Angoulême.

Sights of Angouleme

Old city occupies a high, steep plateau overlooking the bend of the Charente. It is full of hidden charm, despite the fact that there are few attractions there. The maze of streets north of the wonderful Place Louvel and the massive town hall have been extensively restored and are now open to pedestrians only. This is where you will find the main restaurants and bars, while East End, down Marango and St-Martial streets, has become the city's main business center.

Located on the southern edge of the plateau Angoulême Cathedral(Cathadrale d "Angouleme), whose western facade (like that of Notre-Dame la Grande in Poitiers) demonstrates the wonders of amazing, unusually lively and expressive sculpture of the 12th century, culminating in the image of the Risen Christ with angels and clouds above his head, surrounded by the indispensable brilliance of a halo. A realistic frieze under the tympanum, to the right of the western entrance, commemorates the reconquest of Spanish Zaragoza by the Moors, depicting a bishop piercing a giant Moor with a spear and Roland slaying a Moorish king.

From the entrance to the cathedral you can walk around the entire ramparts surrounding the plateau, with panoramic views to the surrounding area, now largely filled with urban sprawl. The city garden awaits you beyond the parapet, at the far end of the fortifications, and the gravel esplanade near the Lyceum, where local residents gather for a game of petanque.

The most interesting of Angoulême's museums is located just outside the city walls, on the north side, next to the Charente River: National Comics Center(Centre National de la Bande Dessinee; 121 rue de Bordeaux) is dedicated exclusively to these cheerful drawings. The museum, housed in a 12th-century brewery with modern additions, clearly demonstrates that comics (“BD”) - from political to erotic - are seriously considered a form of art in France.

The museum owns a collection of approximately 4 thousand original drawings, which are displayed in the form of a constantly changing exhibition (about 300 at a time). They range from the first stories with pictures and captions, the 19th-century "Epinal pictures" and the talking comics of the 1920s, to the darker modern works. Asterix, Peanuts, Tantan and many other heroes and artists are represented here. There is also an extensive library (with a lot of literature on English language), where you can relax, lean back on the pillows and leaf through the comics you like.

On the shore next door is Paper workshop-museum(Atelier-Musee du Papier; 134 rue de Bordeaux), housed in a long-closed tissue paper factory, is a fitting tribute to Charente's declining paper industry. While the exhibits tell the history and technical details of paper production, the art is not forgotten either: contemporary works created from paper, cardboard and pulp are on display.

Arrival, accommodation and meals in Angoulême

Angoulême is easily reached by train from Cognac, Limoges and Poitiers. From railway station Avenue Gambetta, lined with several cheap hotels, leads up the hill into the city center through Place Perot. The bus station is located on the hill on Place Bouillaud, and the travel office (7 rue du Chat) is located opposite the large market.

Detailed information on hiking and walking routes in the region (circuits pedestres) can be obtained from Center Info Rando (bd de Bury). You can access the Internet at: 24 rue de Montmoreau (3 € per hour). The travel agency will help you with accommodation, although if you want to find a room on your own, the cheapest rooms await you in a quiet family hotel Le Crab (27 rue Kleber) with a decent restaurant serving meal sets from €10, or D’Orleans (133 avenue Gambetta), which is next to the train station.

But, from any point of view, it will be most pleasant to stay at the elegant old Hotel Du Palais, whose windows overlook the pleasant, shady Place Louvel in the center of the Old Town (4 place Francis-Louvel; there is a garage). Another place worth checking out (especially if you want to sample excellent local food): Hotel La Palma (4 rampe d'Aguesseau, on the road leading into town from the station; restaurant from €11.50).

In addition, there is one in the city and located in a wonderful place hostel HI, with dining room, on an island in the middle of Charente: take bus number 7 from place du Champ-de-Mars. The municipal campsite awaits you nearby, behind the Pont de Bourgines. Restaurants It's worth looking on rue de Geneve, where there are several such establishments, including traditional French and international ones, as well as on the narrow pedestrian street of Massilon. One of best restaurants A region with many interesting and inventive food sets (priced from €22) remains La Ruelle (6 rue Trois-Notre-Dames; closed Sundays and Mondays).

Le Mektoub (28 rue des Trois-Notre-Dames) offers good, inexpensive North African cuisine, while Le Chat Noir (24 rue de Geneve), near the excellent covered market (Les Halles) open daily, on rue du Chat), there are always a lot of visitors who buy cheap salads and snacks there. La Marine on Rue Ludovic-Trarieux is a spacious, modern oyster (wine) bar, and Chez Paul (8 place France Louvel) is a welcoming and very inexpensive restaurant with beautiful garden; The food there is fantastic, and the cost of a set of dishes starts from 10.05 € - be sure to check it out.

Neighborhoods of Angoulême

In La Rochefoucauld, 22 kilometers east of Angoulême, on the banks of the Tardoir River, there is a large Renaissance castle - it still belongs to the family that gave the city its name a thousand years ago. Although the owners still live in the substantial structure, it opens its elaborately decorated gates to visitors (Easter-November: daily from 10.00 to 19.00; cost 6.10 €).

In August, a large-scale light and music show is held here, in which a whole troupe of actors participates. If you want to stay here, check out the lovely old Auberge de la Carpe d`Or (1 rue de Vitrac). There is also a municipal campsite in the city - on Flot Street (rue des Flots) behind the castle.

Even further to the east, the area becomes hillier and the forests increase, and in the pastures the brown-flanked cattle from Lamousin are nibbling on buttercups. Good way explore these places: drive along the country roads along the Vienne River to the beautiful, if today too popular with tourists, small town of Confolens, about 40 kilometers northeast of La Rochefoucauld.

Its ancient houses cluster on the hillside above a wide bend of the brown river, which is crossed at this point by a long and narrow medieval bridge. The city is best known today for the International Folklore Festival, held annually in the second week of August, when, of course, it is almost impossible to find a hotel room here. The best place to stay is the Hotel de la Vienne on the river bank, behind the bridge (4 rue de la Ferrandie; good restaurant with a terrace above the river, from 10 €). There is also a municipal campsite in the city - near a tributary of the Guar River.

If you've already made it this far, it's worth driving another 6 kilometers to the tiny village of St-Germain-de-Confolens, whose houses cling to the river behind the romantic towers of a dilapidated castle, where you can eat delicious country food at the Auberge de la Tour (closed on Mondays except July and August) for only 11.50 €.

More photos of the sights of the French city of Angouleme here: Photo gallery

Angoulême is an old, beautiful and convenient city in all respects. It is located a hundred kilometers east of coastal Royan and the same distance from Limoges to the west. This is not some kind of bear corner (its own population is about 50 nsc. people), but lovers of natural beauty can be sure: here they are preserved with all their attractiveness. In particular, the beautiful river valley of the Charente. But what interests tourists in Angoulême is not so much its natural beauty as its man-made beauty. After all, this is not least a city of comics and “painted walls”.

How to get to Angoulême

On the Paris-Bordeaux railway line by TGV train without transfers. By car - on the N10 Paris - Bayonne highway. There is also the option of sailing to the city via the Charente from nearby towns. The nearest airport is Angouleme-Cognac International Airport.

A little history

Charente Angoulême has been an episcopal city since the 4th century. The cathedral was built here in the 6th century, when the Frankish king Clovis took possession of the city. Already at this time, Angoulême was an important religious and military hub. In the 9th century, the city was ravaged by the Normans, and later the title of Dukes of Angoulême, named after the city annexed to the French crown, was borne by many rulers of the country, including Charles IX.

The city's economy was built on paper production, and later on book printing. There was a gunpowder factory and a foundry nearby. Trade also flourished in Angoulême. In the 20th century, Angoulême was home to an important racing track, which was built on top of the old ramparts that surrounded the medieval city. It has survived and operates to this day, one of only three of its kind in the country (except for the routes in Pau and Monaco).

Popular hotels in Angouleme

Entertainment and attractions in Angouleme

Angoulême is one of the cities of art and history. Historical Center Angoulême and its Old Town were described by Balzac in his Lost Illusions as "the peak of splendor and power". There is a castle, the Town Hall, the prefecture and the cathedral, as well as many old buildings. Old center remained intact while the rest of the city center was completely rebuilt in the 19th century.

Angoulême's main attraction is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter. Originally built in the 6th century on the site of an even older one, a couple of centuries later it was burned by the Norman conquerors. The next cathedral was consecrated at the beginning of the 11th century, but soon it needed to be expanded, which happened in the 12th century. Angoulême Cathedral also suffered during the religious wars: in the 16th century it lost its bell tower. After all these ups and downs, the cathedral required serious restoration, which was carried out in the second half of the 19th century under the leadership of the well-known P. Abadie Jr. (author of the Sacre-Coeur Cathedral in Montmartre, Paris). It was he who added symmetrical turrets with conical domes on both sides of the façade. Nowadays, on the arcaded facade of the cathedral you can see about 70 sculptural statues, and the northern transept is crowned by a square tower almost 50 m high.

Ramparts and fortifications

Due to Angoulême's location on a plateau above the Charente, it is sometimes called the "balcony of the southwest". Meanwhile, the plateau is occupied only by the Old Town. It is surrounded by ramparts of fairly decent height, partly rocky, which form the specific landscape of Angoulême. The ramparts were constantly destroyed and rebuilt, leaving them alone only in 19 AD, and today they are classified as historical monuments. Excursion tours are conducted for tourists along the city ramparts.

Cathedrals of Angoulême

Also worth a visit are the ruins of the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Cybar, just north of the city walls. The abbey was probably founded in the 6th century; suffered greatly from the Normans and was finally destroyed during the religious wars, when Angoulême was captured by Protestants in 1568. Today you can see the relatively well-preserved northern side of the monastery church.

Palaces and mansions

Among the secular buildings of Angoulême, there are not many that are of any particular significance. Among them we can note the observation tower on the old wall of Epernon, the Palace of Justice, built by Abadie the Elder at the end of the 19th century, the Jules Verne College in the building of the former deanery with an ancient chapel with stained glass, a vaulted ceiling and carved wooden elements, the Guez de Balzac school, which was built both Abadi - father and son, as well as the building of the municipal theater with a beautiful facade.

Museums of Angoulême

There are several museums in the city: in particular, the Resistance Museum, the Paper Museum, and the Comics Museum. The latter is associated with interesting story: In 1983, a local school of fine arts was created with the first comics department in France. Now it is in Angoulême that the head office of the international organization is located, which registers all comics published in the country.

Events of Angoulême

Angoulême is called the “city of festivals” - however, many other European cities are also called this way. For 40 years now, Angoulême has hosted the European Comics Festival every year. In addition, a festival of animated films is held here, and music and gastronomic festivals are held for the New Year, in spring and autumn. These are the Christmas festival "Gastronomady", a music festival in May and a piano music festival in October.

Angoulême is a small city in western France, located on a flat hill, between the Charente and Enghien rivers, 135 kilometers from Bordeaux. The history of the settlement begins in the 4th century and during its long existence it was repeatedly plundered, but despite everything, it grew and developed. By the 20th century, paper production was organized here, book printing was developing, leather, weapons and wax factories were operating, and a gunpowder and foundry operated in the vicinity of the city. Nowadays, Angoulême has become famous as a city with a large number of festivals: since 1974, the largest comic book festival in Europe has been held annually, since 1998 - an animated film festival, music and gastronomy festivals are held in May, October and December of each year.

Transport accessibility

The city has its own airport, located 12 kilometers from the center and serving both local and international flights. Upon arrival, you can get to Angoulême by bus. It is also possible to use taxi services.

The railway closely connects the city with Paris, Bordeaux, Limoges, Poitiers, Chatellerault and La Rochelle.

Climate

What to see

The Charente River divides the city into Old and New parts. A large number of medieval buildings have been preserved in the Old Town, and all the architectural attractions are located here. The new city is represented by modern buildings.

One of the outstanding architectural structures of the city is the Town Hall building. The administrative building became an administrative building only in the 19th century; initially, a castle was erected here in the 13th century. The multifaceted and round towers from the 14th and 15th centuries, respectively, have survived from the medieval buildings. Under the leadership of the talented architect Paul Abadie, the palace was rebuilt into the city hall, maintaining its Gothic-Renaissance style. Also, some administration premises are allocated for the exhibition of the museum of archeology and painting.

When you come with children, visit the city park, which is well equipped with quiet alleys for quiet walks, children's and sports grounds for active recreation, and also has year-round heated attractions. The park has free parking and a large number of cafes and restaurants.

In the last century, a large racing track was built through Angoulême, running on top of the ancient ramparts that once served as a defensive structure and surrounded the medieval city. Currently, this track hosts annual retro races with the participation of pre-war car models. The ramparts surrounding the perimeter of the city are now classified as historical monuments, along which excursion tours are conducted for tourists and guests of the city.

The charming town of Angouleme lies in the upper reaches of the Charente, on a low plateau, around which the river makes a sharp turn to the west.

Already in Roman times, there was an outpost of Inculisma on this site, in the 4th century. n. e. becoming the residence of the bishop (the city is still the center of the bishopric of Angoulême). And then a series of endless wars followed, which caused considerable damage to this large city at that time and led to the emigration of almost half of the population to Holland. From the 14th century, the city developed into an important center for paper production, printing and gunsmithing, quickly becoming a major shopping center. Nowadays, it is a quiet and charming city, not capable of boasting an abundance of attractions, but very popular among tourists simply because of its color, as well as because of the abundance of all kinds of festivals and festive events.

Attractions

A labyrinth of ancient streets north of the delightful Place Louvel and the massive town hall complex in Lately underwent significant restoration, acquiring many cafes and restaurants, while the eastern quarters around rue Marango and rue St-Martial became the main commercial center of the city.

On the southern edge of the plateau rises Angoulême Cathedral(XII-XIX), the western pediment of which is very reminiscent of Notre Dame in Poitiers.

The most charming museum in Angoulême - Ban-Dessini National Comics Center(www.cnbdi.fr, open from Thursday to Friday from 10.00 to 18.00, Saturday and Sunday - from 14.00 to 18.00; entrance - 5 euros) is located in the building of an old brewery near the Charente embankment. Nearby is Paper Museum(open from Thursday to Sunday, from July to August - from 12.00 to 18.30, from September to June - from 14.00 to 18.00; admission is free), occupying the complex of a former cigarette paper factory, as well as the city hall building in the complex of the former fortress of the Dukes of Angoulême (XII-XV centuries, however, only two towers have survived from the castle itself).

Around the city

22 km east of Angoulême there is a huge Renaissance castle La Rochefoucauld(La Rochefoucauld), which still belongs to this famous noble family, which gave France many thinkers. The majestic complex is available for inspection (from Easter to November - daily from 10.00 to 19.00; entrance - 6.1 euros), and in August hosts several festivals.

Even further away lies an equally ancient town Konfolen(40 km northeast of La Rochefoucauld), widely known for its old quarters, long and narrow medieval bridge, and the grandiose International Folklore Festival www.festivaldefolens.com, held every year in the second week of August.

Angoulême stands on the site of ancient Inculisma in Aquitaine. From 379 this colony was the seat of a bishop, and was subsequently renamed Ecolisma or Encolisma. Clovis took it from the Visigoths in 507 and founded a cathedral in it. Already at that time it was a fairly significant city, and in the following centuries Angoulême played an important role in military history. In the 9th century the city was sacked by the Normans.

The area in which Angoulême lies was formerly called Angoumois and in the old days, from the 9th century, was a county. The male tribe of the Counts of Angoumois came to an end in 1218 with the death of Aimard Taillefer; The county, through the female heir, Isabella (the second wife of John the Landless), passed to the house of Lusignan.

In 1302, when Hugh XIII of Lusignan died without male heirs, Philip the Fair annexed this county to his possessions, and since then it has been an appanage with the title of count for members of the royal house (except for the period 1360-1373, when the city belonged to the English). Since 1394 Angoulême became the inheritance of the Dukes of Orleans, the younger branch of the dynasty. Thus, the youngest son of Louis of Orleans, Jean, was the Count of Angoulême, and his grandson ascended the throne under the name of Francis I. The latter in 1515 renamed this county into a duchy and gave it to his mother, Louise of Savoy. By this time, the "duchy", firmly held by the king, remained so in name only.

Since the 14th century, paper manufactories, and subsequently printing houses, flourished in the city thanks to the year-round availability of clean water of almost constant temperature coming from underground rivers. According to ESBE, by the end of the 19th century in Angoulême there were “21 large paper mills, distilleries, wax factories, tanneries and weapons factories. Trade, the center of which is the Gumo suburb, is carried out mainly in paper, bread, wine, vodka, hemp, flax, truffles, chestnuts, soap, salt, corks, barrel boards, iron and copper goods. Not far from the city is the Terouat gunpowder factory with 17 workshops, and in the beautiful Touvre Valley, 6 km from Angoulême, a large cannon foundry founded in 1750, which can supply up to 680 guns annually.”

In 1903, during the Paris-Madrid auto race, Marcel Renault, one of the founders of Renault, died near Angoulême. In the 20th century, the city was famous for auto racing; a circular route along the Angoulême boulevards, which were laid out on the site of the former ramparts - one of the three preserved and operating in France (after Monaco and Pau).

In 1940, after the surrender of France, Angoulême found itself west of the border between Vichy and occupied territories. In 1944, during the Normandy operation, the Angoulême railway station (Bordeaux-Poitiers line) was subjected to massive bombing.

Attractions

Angoulême Cathedral, the main buildings of which date from the beginning of the 12th century, rebuilt in the 19th century under the leadership of Paul Abadie
The City Hall building, also built by Abadi, includes two towers preserved from medieval fortress Dukes of Angoulême.

In place of the fortifications of Angoulême, a ring of boulevards has been broken; Most of the old city, well preserved, does not contain particularly valuable monuments.

Economy

In modern Angoulême, paper and printing enterprises continue to operate, including the Rizla and Le Nil cigarette paper factories.

Festivals

Modern Angoulême is known as the “city of festivals”:

Since 1974, Angoulême has hosted an annual comics festival (Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême), which has become the main event of this genre in Europe.
Since 1998, an annual festival of animated films has been held (FITA, Forum International des Technologies de l’Animation).
Food and music festivals are held in December, May and October.
Every year, in mid-September, a circuit race with classic pre-war cars takes place along the historic track in the city center.