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Angoulême old town

Worth visiting

Added on 25 Mar 2015,

last edited by »biroto-Redaktion« on 05 Mar 2017

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Type of sights

Old town

 

Name and address

Angoulême old town

FR-16000 Angoulême

GEO-data

Geodetic coordinates

45.649431 0.154139

Elevation

96 m

Communication

St Peterʹs Cathedral, Angoulême
St Peterʹs Cathedral, Angoulême
Angoulême Town hall
Angoulême Town hall
City hall of Angoulême and indoor market
City hall of Angoulême and indoor market
Bell tower and chevet of Saint-André church (11th, 15th and 17th centuries), Angoulême
Bell tower and chevet of Saint-André church (11th, 15th and 17th centuries), Angoulême

Angoulême (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ɡulɛm]; Engoleime in Occitan and Engoulaeme in the regional Occitan dialect) is a French commune, the capital of the Charente department, in the Poitou-Charentes region.

Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of the Charente River Wikipedia Icon, the city is nicknamed the "balcony of the southwest". The city proper's population is a little less than 50,000.

Formerly the capital of Angoumois in the Ancien Régime, Angoulême was a fortified town for a long time and was highly coveted due to its position at the centre of many roads important to communication so therefore suffered many sieges. From its tumultuous past the city, perched on a rocky spur, inherited a large historical, religious, and urban heritage which attracts a lot of tourists.

The commune has been awarded four flowers by the National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in the Competition of cities and villages in Bloom.

On 18 May 1204 a charter was signed by King John of England to make official the creation of the commune of Angoulême. The King "grants to residents of Angoulême to keep the freedoms and customs of their fair city and defend their possessions and rights". The city celebrated their 800th anniversary throughout 2004.

In 1360 the city, like all of Angoumois, passed into the hands of the Plantagenet English with the Treaty of Brétigny. From 16 to 22 October 1361, John Chandos, Lieutenant of King Edward III of England and the Constable of Aquitaine responsible for implementing the Treaty particularly in Angoumois, took possession of the city, its castles, and the "mostier" (monastery) of Saint-Pierre. He received oaths of allegiance to the King of England from the main personalities of the city.

The English were, however, expelled in 1373 by the troops of Charles V who granted the town numerous privileges. The County of Angoulême was given to Louis d'Orléans who was the brother of King Charles VI in 1394 and it then passed to his son Jean d'Orléans (1400-1467), the grandfather of Marguerite d'Angoulême and François I. The Good Count Jean of Angoulême greatly expanded the County castle after his return from English captivity in the middle of the 15th century.

Angoulême, the seat of the County of Angoumois, succeeded to a branch of the family of Valois from which came François I, King of France from 1515 to 1547 who was born in Cognac Wikipedia Icon in 1494.

The duchy, now crown land, thereafter was passed on within the ruling house of France. One of its holders was Charles of Valois, the "natural" (or illegitimate) son of Charles IX. The last duke of Angoulême was Louis-Antoine (died 1844), eldest son of Charles X of France.

John Calvin, the promoter of Protestantism and friend of Jean du Tillet the archdeacon of Angoulême, was forced to flee Paris in 1533 and took refuge in Angoulême in the caves of Rochecorail at Trois-Palis Wikipedia Icon.

Angoulême was affected by the Revolt of the Pitauds peasant revolt: in 1541, the gabelle (salt tax) was imposed on Saintonge and Angoumois. These provinces did not pay the tax on salt. The revolt broke out around Angoulême and farmers from the surrounding countryside took the city in July 1548.

During the first wars of religion the city took up arms: it was reconquered in 1563 by Montpensier. In 1565 Charles IX passed through the city during his royal tour of France (1564-1566) accompanied by the court. In October 1568 the city was taken by the Protestants under Coligny.

In 1588 the mayor of Angoulême, François Normand Lord of Puygrelier, was ordered by Henri III to arrest the Duke of Épernon, governor of Angoumois. He led the assault, was repelled, and died on 10 August 1588.

In 1619 Marie de Médicis escaped and was received by the Duke of Épernon, governor of Angoumois. At that time the castle was the residence of the governors.

During the French Revolution the city was called Mountagne-Charente. The first tree of liberty was planted on 5 July 1792.

Culture and heritage

Angoulême and Angoumois country together are classified as a City of Art and History.

In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the City Hall, the architecture is of little interest to purists. However, the "old town" has been preserved, maintained and largely reserved for pedestrians. It has a cobbled restaurant quarter, with several galleries and boutiques.

Below are listed some of the most interesting sites.

Civil heritage

  • The Town Hall (13th century) was designed by Paul Abadie and is a handsome 19th-century structure. It has preserved and incorporated two 13th century towers, Lusignan and Valois, from the Castle of the Counts of Angoulême on the site on which it was built. It contains museums of paintings and archaeology.
  • The Ramparts (4th century). The ramparts form a balcony overlooking the Charente.
  • The Market building (1886) is made of architectural glass and iron of Baltard type.
  • The Palace of Justice was built on an old convent at the end of the 19th century by Paul Abadie's father.
  • The Municipal Theatre has a superb façade.
  • The College Jules Verne, a former deanery, it has preserved the old chapel with beautiful stained glass and carved woodwork in the music room and a vaulted chapel with stone keystones and stained glass - visible from the Rue de Beaulieu - which has become the CDI.
  • The Guez de Balzac School built by Paul Abadie father and son.

There are very many old houses:

  • The Maison Saint-Simon in Rue de la Cloche-Verte (16th century) built in the Renaissance style.
  • The Hotel de Bardines at 79 Rue de Beaulieu (18th century) is attributed to the Angoulême architect Jean-Baptiste Michel Vallin de la Mothe. The building is impressive in size.
  • The Hotel Montalembert
  • The House called Archers
  • The Hôtel Mousnier-Longpré at 24 Rue Friedland (12th century) was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has remarkable façades on the Rue de l’Évêché, Rue de Friedland, and the courtyard.
  • A Hotel Particular described in Illusions perdues (Lost Illusions) by Honoré de Balzac as that of Madame de Bargeton.
  • An Ancient Portal at 59 Rue du Minage (17th century)
  • An Ancient Portal at 61 Rue du Minage (16th century)

Places (Squares) in Old Angoulême

  • The Place du Minage with its fountain from the Second Empire and its benches has a Mediterranean flair in the heart of the old town. In the 14th and the 19th centuries there was intense commercial activity.
  • The Place Henri Dunant. Named after the founder of the Red Cross, it now borders the Gabriel Fauré conservatory, formerly the Saint-Louis College then a Police Station.
  • The Place New-York. This square, formerly called the Park, was installed in the 18th century in the first real town planning project. It has remained a promenade and a venue for various events. In 1956 the square changed its name again. The City Council decided to call it the Place New York, in memory of the journey by Giovanni da Verrazano in the service of François I who, in 1524, named the site of the present New York: New Angoulême.
  • The 'Place Beaulieu. Located at the western end of the plateau and the old city, it offers a vast panorama to passers-by and has long been a pleasant place to walk. It borders the imposing Guez de Balzac School on the site of an ancient abbey.
  • The Place Bouillaud and the Place de l'Hotel de Ville. In addition to the City Hall there is also (in front of the entrance to the City Hall) a beautiful art nouveau façade.
  • The Place Francis Louvel. Formerly called du mûrier, it was and remains one of the busiest places in the old town. Formerly the garden of a convent until the 16th century, it was embellished in the 18th and 19th centuries with new buildings and a fountain. The Palace of Justice is there. The place changed its name in 1946 to take the name of Francis Louvel - a resistance fighter shot by the Germans in 1944.
  • The Place du Palet. This site occupies a vast space which, in the past, was in front of the main gate of the old city and for three centuries housed an imposing hall. The site was redeveloped in the 1980s.
  • The Place du Général Resnier.

Tours of the town include the murs peints, various walls painted in street-art cartoon style, a feature of Angoulême and related to its association with the bande dessinée, the comic strip. A statue has been erected to Hergé, creator of The Adventures of Tintin. The attractive covered market Les Halles, on the site of the old jail, was restored and refurbished in 2004 and is a central part of city life.

In 2009 the National Council of Cities and Villages in Bloom of France awarded four flowers to the commune in the competition for cities and villages in bloom.

Religious heritage

  • Angoulême Cathedral Wikipedia Icon (12th century) is dedicated to Saint Peter and is a church in the Romanesque style. It has undergone frequent restoration since the 12th century. It was partly rebuilt in the latter half of the 19th century by architect Paul Abadie. The façade, flanked by two towers with cupolas, is decorated with arcades featuring statuary and sculpture with the whole representing the "Last Judgment". The crossing is surmounted by a dome. The north transept is topped by a fine square tower over 160 ft (49 m) high. The Cathedral contains a very large number of items that are registered as historical objects.
  • The remains of the Abbey of Saint-Cybard Wikipedia Icon (13th century) at the International City of Cartoons and Images (CNBDI)
  • The Church of Saint-André at Rue Taillefer 6 (12th century) has been rebuilt several times. The church contains a large number of items that are registered as historical objects.
  • A Lantern of the Dead in the cemetery of the Church of Saint André (12th century) is actually a hearth - a remnant of the old Taillefer Palace.
  • The old Bishop's Palace at Rue Friedland (15th century) is today the Museum of Fine Arts of Angoulême. The bishop's house contains a number of items that are registered as historical objects.
  • The Hospital Chapel was the old Chapel of the Cordeliers Convent where Guez de Balzacis buried. The chapel contains several items that are registered as historical objects.
  • The Church of Saint-Jacques de Lhoumeau (1840) The church contains a Gallery Organ (18th century) which is registered as an historical object.
  • The Church of Saint-Martial (1849) in Neo-Romanesque style by Paul Abadie. The church contains a large number of items that are registered as historical objects.
  • The Church of Saint Ausone from the same period and architect. The church contains a Statue of Saint Ausone (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.
  • The Chapel Notre-Dame d'Obézine (or Bézines) (1895)
  • The Hôtel-Dieu
  • The old Carmelite convent

Sleep

Inside the range of 4 km:

Useful

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Information about copyright

Rights characteristic / license

by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

Link to the description of the license

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Input taken over from:

Wikipedia contributors, 'Angoulême', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 March 2015, 16:48 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angoul%C3%AAme&oldid=650779192> [accessed 25 March 2015]

taken over / edited on

25 Mar 2015 - 05 Mar 2017

taken over / edited by

biroto-Redaktion

Added on 25 Mar 2015,

last edited by »biroto-Redaktion« on 05 Mar 2017