Located on a plateau overlooking ameander of the riverCharente, the city is nicknamed the "balcony of the southwest". The city proper's population is a little less than 42,000 but it is the centre of an urban area of 110,000 people extending more than fifteen kilometres (9.3 miles) from east to west.
Formerly the capital ofAngoumois during theAncien 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 it 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.
Nowadays, Angoulême is at the centre of an agglomeration, which is one of the most industrialised regions betweenLoire andGaronne (thepaper industry was established in the 16th century, afoundry andelectromechanical engineering developed more recently). It is also a commercial and administrative city with its own university of technology, and a vibrant cultural life. This life is dominated by theAngoulême International Comics Festival, the FFAAngoulême Francophone Film Festival and theMusiques Métisses Festival that contribute substantially to the international renown of the city. Moreover, Angoulême hosts 40 animation and video game studios that produce half of France's animated production.Wes Anderson'sThe French Dispatch was filmed in this city.
Angoulême is called "Ville de l'Image" which means literally "City of the Image". The commune has been awarded four flowers by theNational Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in theCompetition of cities and villages in Bloom.[3]
Angoulême is anAcropolis city located on a hill overlooking a loop of theCharente limited in area upstream by the confluence of theTouvre and downstream by the Anguienne andEaux Claires.
Angoulême is located at the intersection of a major north–south axis: theN10 Paris-Bayonne; and the east–west axis: theN14route Central-Europe Atlantique Limoges-Saintes. Angoulême is also connected toPérigueux andSaint-Jean-d'Angely by the D939 and toLibourne by the D674.
By train: theParis-Bordeaux line, served mainly byTGV, passes through Angoulême and theTER Limoges-Saintes provides connections.
By water: although the river Charente is currently only used for tourism, it was a communication channel, especially for freight, until the 19th century and the port of l'Houmeau was very busy.
Old Angoulême is the old part between the ramparts and the town centre with winding streets and small squares. Thecity centre is also located on the plateau and was portrayed byHonoré de Balzac in "The Lost Illusions" as "the height of grandeur and power". There is a Castle, a town hall, a prefecture, and a cathedral with grand houses everywhere. Unlike Old Angoulême, however, the entire city centre was greatly rebuilt in the 19th century.
Surrounding the city were five oldfaubourgs:l'Houmeau, Saint-Cybard, Saint-Martin, Saint-Ausone, and la Bussatte. The district ofl'Houmeau was described by Balzac as "based on trade and money" because this district lived on trade, boatmen, and theirscows. The port of l'Houmeau was created in 1280 on the river bank. It marked the beginning of the navigable part from Angoulême to the sea.Saint-Cybard, on the bank of the Charente, was created around theAbbey of Saint-Cybard then became an industrial area withpapermills, especiallyLe Nil.Saint-Martin - Saint-Ausone is a district composed of two former parishes outside the ramparts. AtLa Bussatte the Champ de Mars esplanade is now converted into a shopping mall, and adjoinsSaint-Gelais.
Today the city has fifteen districts:
Centre-ville
Old Angoulême
Saint-Ausone - Saint-Martin
Saint-Gelais
La Bussatte - Champ de Mars
L'Houmeau
Saint-Cybard
Victor-Hugo, Saint-Roch is notable for its military presence.
Basseau is a district which was created in the 19th century with the port of Basseau, the explosives factory in 1821, the Laroche-Joubert papermill in 1842, then the bridge in 1850.
Sillac - La Grande-Garenne was a private housing estate then was built up withHLM units.
Bel-Air, la Grand Font in the railway station district with housing blocks from the 1950s at Grand Font.
La Madeleine which was completely rebuilt after the bombings of 1944.
Ma Campagne is a district which was detached fromPuymoyen commune in 1945[4] and built-up as a collective habitat from 1972.
LePetit Fresquet was also detached from Puymoyen and is semi-rural.
Frégeneuil was also detached from Puymoyen and is semi-rural.
ThePort-l'Houmeau, the old port on the Charente located in the district of l'Houmeau is in a flood zone and during floods the Besson Bey Boulevard is usually cut.
Geologically the town belongs to theAquitaine Basin as does three-quarters of the western department ofCharente.
The commune is located on the samelimestone from theUpper Cretaceous period which occupies the southern half of the department of Charente, not far fromJurassic formations beginning atGond-Pontouvre.
The earliest Cretaceous period - theCenomanian- is in the relatively low areas (l'Houmeau, the heights of Saint-Cybard, Sillac), at an average altitude of 50m.
The city was established on thePlateau (altitude 100m) that dominates the loop of the River Charente, aTuronian (also calledAngoumien) formation which forms a dissected plateau of parallel valleys and acuesta facing north that extends towardsLa Couronne to the west andGarat to the east.
This limestone plateau contains natural cavities which have been refurbished by man in the form of three or four floors of caves, some of which include antique grain silos.
The valley of the Charente is made up of old and new alluvium which provides rich soil for farming and some sandpits. These alluvial deposits were deposited successively during theQuaternary period on the inside of two meanders of the river that are Basseau and Saint-Cybard. The oldest alluviums are on the plain of Basseau and reach a relative height of 25m.[6][7][8]
The old part of the city is built on the plateau - a rocky outcrop created by the valleys of the Anguienne and Charente at an altitude of 102 metres (335 feet) - while on the river bank the area subject to flooding is 27 metres (89 feet) high. Angoulême is characterized by the presence of ramparts on a cliff 80 metres (260 feet) high.
The plateau ofMa Campagne, south of the old town, has almost the same features and peaks at 109 m in the woods of Saint-Martin. The plateau is elongated and separates the valleys of Eaux Claires, which is the southern boundary of the commune, from that of Anguienne, which is parallel.
Both plateaux overlook the Charente valley and the outlying areas such as l'Houmeau, Basseau, and Sillac at their western ends. The plateau of Angoulême is the northwest extension of the Soyaux plateau. L'Houmeau, the station area, and that of Grand-Font are to the north of the plateau along the small Vimière valley, also a tributary of the Charente, but further north (towards Gond-Pontouvre andL'Isle-d'Espagnac) than Anguienne is to the south.
The highest point of the city of Angoulême is at an altitude of 133m near Peusec located to the south-east near the border with Puymoyen. The lowest point is 27 m, located along the Charente at Basseau.[9]
Since Roman times ramparts have surrounded the Plateau of Angoulême. Repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, their reconstruction was finally stopped in the 19th century. TheRamparts are classified as historical monuments[10] and theRamparts Tour is one of the main attractions of the city.
Angoulême is under anoceanic influence and similar to that of the city of Cognac where the departmental weather station is located. Precipitations are modest all year long, with a slight drying tendency during summer.
Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France[11]
The absence of any convincing explanation of the origin of the name of the city has led to several attempts to fit etymological explanations unrelated to the well documented old forms and phonetically unlikely:
It came fromincolumissima meaning "very safe and healthy," but there is no trace of an [n] in the most ancient forms and no trace of a [mi] either.
It was an alteration ofin collisnā meaning "on the hill"[21] but a toponym is never formed from the Latin prepositionin. As for the French wordcolline (hill), it was borrowed from the Italiancollina at the time of theRenaissance (attested for the first time in 1555).[22] In addition the suffix-isnā was not used to produce derivations from Latin words and it is doubtful that it even exists. Finally, independent alterations of regular phonetic changes occur as a result of analogy or more precisely ofpopular etymology: that is to say analogy with other similar and frequent used names in the region or an attempt to connect the toponym to a term that makes sense. It is clear that the old forms of Angoulême are mostly obscure.
Some hypotheses have been advanced with a stronger basis:
It is possible to recognize the suffix-isma in some of the oldest forms which represents an evolution of the Gallic suffix-isama (usually a superlative mark)[17] which is found in the name of the Gallic divinityBelisama and very common in toponymy in toponymic types such asBlesme,Bellême, etc. including changes in the final-esme, -ême which is similar to Angoulême.[Note 1][23] In this context the first element would beIcul- / Ecol- an unknown pre-Latin element.[17]
The identification of the primitive formEculisna then alternating the old forms-isna and-isma led Ernest Nègre to prefer the first with-isna. The first element would beEcul-. According to him, we can neither affirm the Celticity of these two elements nor their meaning. The alteration in*Angulisma was caused by the attraction of the Germanic personal nameAngelisma whose existence was confirmed byMarie-Thérèse Morlet.[15]
Iculisma / Ecolisma would consist of a Gallic radicaleco meaning "water", followed by the suffix-lisima meaning "relates to".Iculisma would be "well-watered".[21] Xavier Delamarre analysed the elementEco- to come fromEquoranda (orEgoranda) as the origin of many names in France and considers that the elementico / equo- was not Celtic.[23]
At the time of theFrench Revolution the city was known by the transient name ofMontagne-Charente.[21]
The district of Bussatte takes its name from the Low Latinbuxetta / buxettum which means "place planted with boxwood" equivalent toBoissay in thelangue d'oïl.
The district of l'Houmeau meaning "small elm" or "abalone". The term is probably derived from Low Latinulmellum.
Sillac probably comes from Low LatinSīliācum meaning that the village was built around the property (suffix-ācum) of a Gallo-Roman namedSīlius.[24]
The history of the city is not very well known before the Roman period: it is simply known that the plateau was occupied by anoppidum, traces of which were found during excavations in the Saint-Martial cemetery[25] under the nameIculisma. Its currency wasLemovice.
Acapital from the 2nd century discovered in 1888 on the Rue des Halles
The town was not located on major roads and was considered by the poetAusonius as a small town. No Roman monuments have been found but it benefited from thePax Romana and from trade on the river. The town had a prosperous period at the end of theRoman Empire. The rocky promontory overlooking the Charente 80 metres (260 feet) high and over the Anguienne 60 metres (200 feet) high formed a strategic position. It was raised to the rank of capital ofcivitas (at the end of the 3rd or 4th centuries) and the first fortress dates from the end of the Roman Empire. The rampart called Bas-Empire which surrounds 27 hectares of land was maintained until the 13th century. The network ofRoman roads were then reorganized to link the town with the surrounding cities ofBordeaux,Saintes,Poitiers,Limoges, and Périgueux.[26]
The city ofHaut-Empire remained unknown for a long time. Recent excavations have provided details on the power of the Roman city. A well dug in an early era shows that the water table was very high. A large thermal spa complex was found under the courthouse which is usually related to water supply through an aqueduct.[27]
The firstbishop of Angoulême was Saint Ausone of Angoulême in the 3rd century. The administrative importance of the city was strengthened by the implementation of a County in the 6th century withTurpion (or Turpin) (839–863), adviser toCharles the Bald. However, the town was always attached to the various kingdoms of Aquitaine and the end of antiquity for the city was in 768, whenPepin the Short defeatedHunald II and linked it to the Frankish kingdom.[28] In June 2019, archeologists discovered a prehistoric stone with an engraving of a horse and other animals near Angoulême station. ThePalaeolithic stone plate is estimated to be about 12,000 years old.[29]
During the battle, however, Clovis was seriously wounded in the leg - probably a fracture. The fact is reported by tradition and on a wall of a tower from the 2nd century a leg is carved called the "leg of Clovis".
The Leg of Clovis
During his stay in Angoulême, after putting the garrison to the sword, Clovis pulled down the old Visigothic cathedral dedicated to Saint-Saturnin to build a new one bearing the name of Saint-Pierre. All that remains of the original building are two carved marble capitals that frame the bay of the axis in theapse of the present cathedral.
In the 7th century Saint Cybard stayed secluded in a cave beneath the extension to the north wall of Angoulême called Green Garden which caused the creation of the first abbey: the Abbey of Saint-Cybard, then created the first abbey for women: the Abbey of Saint-Ausone where the tomb of the first bishop of the city is located.
In 848 Angoulême was sacked by theViking chiefHastein.[32] In 896 or 930[33] the city suffered another attack from invading Vikings but this time the Vikings faced an effective resistance.Guillaume I, third Count of Angoulême, at the head of his troops made them surrender in a decisive battle. During this engagement, he split open to the waist Stonius, the Norman chief, with a massive blow together with his helmet and breastplate.
It was this feat that earned him the nameTaillefer, which was borne by all his descendants untilIsabella of Angoulême who was also known as Isabelle Taillefer, the wife of KingJohn of England. The title was withdrawn from the descendants on more than one occasion byRichard Coeur-de-Lion then the title passed to King John of England at the time of his marriage to Isabella of Angoulême, daughter of CountAymer of Angoulême. After becoming a widow, Isabella subsequently marriedHugh X of Lusignan in 1220, and the title was passed to theLusignan family,counts of Marche. On the death ofHugh XIII in 1302 without issue, the County of Angoulême passed his possessions to the crown of France.[34]
In 1236Jewish communities inAnjou andPoitou, particularly Bordeaux and Angoulême were attacked bycrusaders. 500Jews chose conversion and over 3000 were massacred. PopeGregory IX, who originally had called the crusade, was outraged about this brutality and criticized the clergy for not preventing it.[35]
From the 10th to the 13th centuries the counts of Angoulême, the Taillefer, then the Lusignan strengthened the defences of the city and widened it to encompass the district of Saint-Martial.
In 1110, Bishop Girard II ordered the construction of the present cathedral.
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.[36]
In 1360 the city, like all of Angoumois, passed into the hands of thePlantagenet English with theTreaty of Brétigny. From 16 to 22 October 1361,John Chandos, Lieutenant ofKing 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.[37]
The English were, however, expelled in 1373 by the troops ofCharles V who granted the town numerous privileges.[34] The County of Angoulême was given toLouis d'Orléans who was the brother ofKing Charles VI in 1394 and it then passed to his sonJean d'Orléans (1400–1467), the grandfather ofMarguerite de Navarre andFrançois I. TheGood 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, came into the possession of a branch of the family ofValois from which came François I, King of France from 1515 to 1547 who was born inCognac in 1494. In 1524 the Italian navigatorGiovanni da Verrazzano returned from the Indies. He told François I he had discovered a new territory that he namedNew Angoulême in his honour. This area later becameNew Amsterdam thenNew York.
The duchy, now crown land, thereafter was passed on within the ruling house of France. One of its holders wasCharles of Valois, the "natural" (illegitimate) son ofCharles IX. The last duke of Angoulême wasLouis-Antoine (died 1844), eldest son ofCharles X of France.[34]
Angoulême was affected by theRevolt of the Pitauds peasant revolt: in 1541, thegabelle (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[39]
During the firstwars of religion the city took up arms: it was reconquered in 1563 byMontpensier. In 1565 Charles IX passed through the city during hisroyal tour of France (1564–1566) accompanied by the court.[40] In October 1568 the city was taken by the Protestants underColigny.[34][41]
Henry III was, in his infancy, the Duke of Angoulême. He left an unflattering description: "The streets of Engolesme are twisted, houses are disordered, the walls built out of various kinds of masonry which show that it was built several times and often taken and ruined"[42]
In 1588 the mayor of Angoulême, François Normand Lord of Puygrelier, was ordered byHenri III to arrest theDuke of Épernon, governor of Angoumois. He led the assault, was repelled, and died on 10 August 1588.
In 1619Marie 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.
The network ofTramway of Angoulême served the city from 1900 to 1935. Seen here is a carriage at the Place des Halles before theFirst World War.The city was also the terminus of ametre-gaugelight railway called theChemins de fer économiques des Charentes toChalais which ran from 1910 to 1948.
On 24 June 1940, the 2nd Verfügungstruppe division (special intervention troops)Das Reich supported by other units of theWehrmacht arrived in Angoulême. These troops took prisoners and neutralized the many refugee French soldiers in the city. Their number is estimated between 10 and 20 thousand. They were released in the following days.
The Das Reich division, which became tragically famous in 1944 during theBattle of Normandy, continued their "lightning war" by quickly moving to the Spanish border to quickly set theline of demarkation to cut France in two.[44] Angoulême was located in theoccupied zone under German authority and was the seat of theFeld Kommandatur. The border with thefree zone, colloquially called thezone nono (non-occupied) passed about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Angoulême through the Forest of Braconne and split the department in two.
On 20 August 1940 a convoy of Spanish Republicans were sent from Angoulême: convoy 927. This was the first convoy of the history ofDeportation in Europe.[45] Men over the age of 13 were sent to theMauthausen camp where very few survived; women and children were sent toFranco. These refugees were gathered in camps of "Combe aux Loups" atRuelle-sur-Touvre and "Alliers" in Angoulême. It also served as a concentration camp forGypsies until June 1946.
On 21 October 1941 the young Gontran Labrégère, who tried with his friend Jean Pierre Rivière to set fire to a train carrying straw and munitions in Angoulême railway station, was shot by the occupiers. This was the first of a long list of 98 resistance fighters or hostages from Charente. In 1942 Mayor Guillon was dismissed and accused of belonging to an organisation outlawed by theVichy regime. He was replaced by a notable industrialist, Pallas.
On 8 October 1942, 387 people of Jewish origin were arrested and deported toAuschwitz. Only eight of them ever returned. On 19 March 1944 allied bombing caused widespread damage and one casualty at the National Explosives factory. On 15 June and 14 August 1944, the railway station was the target of American Flying Fortresses that dumped a carpet of bombs with little damage to the Germans but killing 242 civilians, destroying 400 houses, and caused 5,000 disaster victims in l'Éperon, l'Houmeau, Madeleine, and Grand-Font districts. At the end of August 1944 the Elster column, which was composed of the remains of various German units and theIndische Legion, passed through the city without incident and withdrew.
Various units ofFFI from the department and reinforcements fromDordogne then began the encirclement of the city. On the evening of 31 August an attack was launched, putting to flight the remnants of the German garrison. They did not have an opportunity to reorganize the defence of the city using the numerous and formidable fortifications erected for this purpose. On the night of 31 August to 1 September the city was liberated and aLiberation Committee with a new prefect was installed. This attack, however, resulted in 51 casualties among the different units involved: Maquis de Bir Hacheim, Groupe Soleil, SSS (Special Section for Sabotage), etc.
A museum in the commune is devoted to theResistance and thedeportations of Jewish and political prisoners. A statue near the station commemorates the deportations to the concentration camps. The survivors ofOperation Frankton, notable for their daring raid by canoe on the GermanU-boat base at Bordeaux, made their escape across country to a safe house atRuffec just north of Angoulême. This is now the site of a shop featuring British goods. The Monument to the Resistance is inChasseneuil to the east.
After the war, the city underwent a major expansion of its suburbs. First Grand Font and Bel-Air, following the MRU reconstruction program for war damage of the area around the station which was bombed in 1944. Then in the 1960s the districts of Basseau (ZAC) and the Grande-Garenne were built and then there was the creation of Priority Urban Zones (ZUPs) at Ma Campagne in the 1970s.
Gradually industries moved into more spacious industrial zones created in the peripheral communes between 1959 and 1975:[4]
Urbanisation also affected the peripheral communes with housing estates atSoyaux and Ruelle-sur-Touvre and the agglomeration became one of the largest cities in the south-west.[46]
In 1972, the city signed a "pilot city" contract with the State (DATAR, represented byAlbin Chalandon),[4][47] which allowed the city to make large scale public works - e.g. the small ring road (bridge and Rue Saint-Antoine, Boulevard Bretagne, Tunnel of Gâtine) penetrating Ma Campagne and called the way to Europe, the ZUPs at Ma Campagne, the Saint-Martial town centre, underground parking at Bouillaud and Saint-Martial, Montauzier indoor swimming pools at Ma Campagne, a pedestrianized street, a one-way traffic plan with computerized management of traffic lights (Angoulême is one of the first cities in France with Bordeaux which has the Gertrude computerized system calledPhilibert in Angoulême[4]), STGA urban transport (ten routes with flexible buses), development of Bouillaud square, Conservatory of Music.[48]
In 1989 after defeat in the municipal elections, thePS deputy mayor,Jean-Michel Boucheron left a hole of 164 million francs in the finances of the city and a debt of 1.2 billion francs. This deficit has burdened the finances of the city and long served as justification for the non-involvement in the completion of public works.
The small ring road (the southwest quarter - i.e. the Aquitaine Boulevard, a second bridge over the Charente, and the connection to theway of Europe) was completed in 1995.
Following the construction of the Nautilis swimming complex at Saint-Yrieix by the urban community, the town of Angoulême closed three swimming pools in 2001 (Montauzier, Ma Campagne and the Bourgines summer pool).[49]
Accompanying the devise: "FORTITUDO MEA CIVIUM FIDES" meaning "My strength is in the loyalty of my citizens" (The same device asPérigueux).
Blazon: Azure, a castle with open arch flanked by two towers all of argent masoned and windowed in sable surmounted by a fleur-de-lis of Or, also surmounted by a marquis coronet the same.
Development of the coat of arms
The first known blazon was:Azure Semé-de-lis of Or, a city gate with two towers of argent debruised by the whole.
Under Philip V in 1317: The Two Towers became three.
Under Charles VI in 1381 are:Azure Semé-de-lis of Or, a bend compony of Argent and Or debruised by the whole for brisure. The door at tower three encloses an outdoor ornament.
Under Charles VII in 1452 the brisure changes for:a label of three points, with the middle pointed.
In the 16th century, the door with two towers reappears surmounted by a fleur de lys of gold.
In 1850 a star replaced the fleur de lys which reappeared in 1855.
The Champ de Mars is the central square of the city and has had an underground shopping arcade since September 2007.
The eastern ring road was opened in 2004 (2010 for the final section) which opened up several districts. The deviation of theN10 which has bypassed the city since 1973[52] has formed a western ring road since 2004 when the initial Fléac-Linars project was abandoned.
Rehabilitation operations for collective housing are underway as part of the government Operation for Urban Renewal. The districts of Grande Garenne, Basseau and Ma Campagne were combined in a program of urban regeneration.
The historic centre with the city hall and the market
Pedestrian shopping area in the centre
The port of l'Houmeau and, in the background, the town centre of Angoulême
Indiscretions by Josée Dayan with Muriel Robin, filmed during the summer of 2013 in Angoulême,Saint-Même-les-Carrières andBassac, released in November 2013.
By population Angoulême is by far the largest city in Charente with 41,711 inhabitants on 1 January 2018.[55] With a communal area of 2,185 hectares, the population density is 1,909 inhabitants per km2, making it the most densely populated city in Charente.
In 2018, theurban unit of Angoulême, which includes eighteen communes,[56] totaled 109,395 inhabitants.[55] It is the seventh most populous urban unit ofNouvelle-Aquitaine, and extends over fifteen kilometres (9.3 miles) from north to south.
Itsfunctional area has 179,758 inhabitants (2018),[55] and is composed of 94 communes in the impact zone of the city.[57]
In 2017 Angoulême had 41,740 inhabitants, down 13% from its largest population in 1962, and down 2.2% compared to 2007. The commune was 172nd in size at the national level, while it was at 145th in 1999, and 1st at the departmental level out of 366 communes.
Angoulême is a centre of the paper-making and printing industry, with which the town has been connected since the 14th century.[34] Papermaking is favoured because of the uniform temperature and volume of the water year-round, partly due to the river Touvre, which joins theCharente at Angoulême. The Touvre is the second largest river with an underground source in France after theSorgue (Fontaine-de-Vaucluse).
Former pumping station to bring up water from the Touvre
The Touvre emerges as a full-blown river from the head of the valley atRuelle. A trout fishery is located at the source and a pumping station supplies the drinking water needs of Angoulême.[citation needed] Most of the paper mills are situated on the banks of watercourses in the neighbourhood of the town.[34] Cardboard for packaging, as well as finevellum for correspondence, have been produced in quantity.
The best known export isRizla cigarette roll-up paper, a combination ofriz (rice paper) and LaCroix, after Monsieur LaCroix the founder.Le Nil is another local brand of roll-up paper, named not after the Nile in Egypt but after a small tributary of the Charente. The Le Nil paper-mill is now the Paper Museum.[61] Paper-making in the town has been in decline.
The economy of the modern town also is supplemented by annual tourist events and festivals. For example, the printers and paper-makers, whose industry relied on intricate machinery, became skilled mechanics and among the first to become fascinated with the motor car in the late 19th century. Motor trials were held regularly, starting on the long straight road through Puymoyen, now a suburb. Monsieur LaCroix (of RIZLA+) was a celebrated motorcycle racer. The Paris–Madrid road race of 1903, notorious for its cancellation due to numerous deaths, passed through Angoulême. Marcel, one of the brothersRenault, was one of the victims. The place of his death is marked by a memorial on road RN10 to Poitiers.
The town has been closely associated with motor trials and racing. TheCircuit des Remparts is held annually, one of the last such street-racing course in France, together with Pau (and Monaco). In addition to local heroes, internationally known racing drivers, such asJuan Manuel Fangio,José Froilán González,Jean-Pierre Wimille,Pierre Veyron andMaurice Trintignant, have been regular participants. The cars which they drove frequently are presented at the modern event. The hotel and restaurant trade receives a considerable boost from the races.[citation needed]
Subsidiary industries, such as the manufacture of machinery, electric motors and wire fabric, are of considerable importance. Angoulême is the most inland navigable port on the Charente River. The traditional river boat is the Gabare. Iron and copper founding, brewing and tanning also continue. The manufacture of gunpowder, confectionery, heavy iron goods, gloves, boots and shoes (including the traditionalpantoufle carpet slippers) and cotton goods are also important.[34] There is wholesale and retail trade in wine, cognac and building-stone.
Angoulême - Cognac International Airport is situated 9.5 km (5.9 mi) northeast of the city centre in Champniers, just off the N10. The runway can accommodatenarrow-body jetliners, and a new restaurant and shops were added in 2008.[64] However Ryanair stopped its Angoulême-Stansted service in 2010. Air France used to operate a service to Lyon. There are currently no regular flights to/from Angoulême airport. The nearest major airport isToulouse–Blagnac Airport, which is located 127 km (79 mi) northeast of the city.
Angoulême and its environs are classified asFrench Towns and Lands of Art and History. The old town is encircled by city walls, known as theRemparts, within which the cathedral and the city hall are architecturally notable.[34] This quarter has cobbled streets and is largely reserved for pedestrians. Angoulême has many buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments.[65] Below are listed some of the more notable sites.
The approaches to theHôtel de Ville (city hall) with elegant green spaces
TheHôtel de Ville (town hall) (13th century)[66] was designed byPaul Abadie and is a 19th-century structure. It has preserved and incorporated two 13th-century towers, Lusignan and Valois, from the Castle of theCounts of Angoulême on the site on which it was built. It contains museums of paintings andarchaeology.[34][67]
TheRamparts (4th century).[10][68] The ramparts form a balcony overlooking the Charente.
TheMarket building (1886)[69] is made of architectural glass and iron ofBaltard type.
ThePalace of Justice was built on an old convent at the end of the 19th century by Paul Abadie's father.
TheMunicipal Theatre has a superb façade.
TheCollege Jules Verne, a former deanery, it has preserved the old chapel with 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.
TheHôtel Mousnier-Longpré at 24 Rue Friedland (12th century)[76] was rebuilt in the 15th century. It has remarkable façades on the Rue de l'Évêché, Rue de Friedland, and the courtyard.
ThePlace du Minage with its fountain from theSecond 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.
ThePlace Henri Dunant. Named after the founder of theRed Cross, it now borders the Gabriel Fauré conservatory, formerly the Saint-Louis College then a police station.
ThePlace New-York. This square, formerly calledthe 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 thePlace New York, in memory of the journey byGiovanni da Verrazzano in the service ofFrançois I who, in 1524, named the site of the presentNew 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.
ThePlace Bouillaud and thePlace de l'Hotel de Ville. In addition to the City Hall there is also (in front of the entrance to the City Hall) anart nouveau façade.
ThePlace Francis Louvel. Formerly calleddu 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 ofFrancis Louvel - a resistance fighter shot by the Germans in 1944.
ThePlace 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.
ThePlace du Général Resnier.
Tours of the town include themurs peints, various walls painted in street-art cartoon style, a feature of Angoulême and related to its association with thebande dessinée, the comic strip. A statue has been erected toHergé, creator ofThe Adventures of Tintin. The attractive covered marketLes 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[80] awarded four flowers to the commune in the competition for cities and villages in bloom.
Angoulême Cathedral (12th century)[81] is dedicated toSaint Peter and is a church in theRomanesque style. It has undergone frequent restoration since the 12th century. It was partly rebuilt in the latter half of the 19th century by architectPaul Abadie. The façade, flanked by two towers withcupolas, is decorated witharcades featuring statuary and sculpture with the whole representing the "Last Judgment". Thecrossing is surmounted by a dome. The northtransept 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.[34][81]
The remains of theAbbey of Saint-Cybard (13th century)[82] at the International City of Cartoons and Images (CNBDI)
TheChurch of Saint-André at Rue Taillefer (12th century)[83] has been rebuilt several times. The church contains a large number of items that are registered as historical objects.[83]
ALantern of the Dead in the cemetery of the Church of Saint André (12th century)[84] is actually a hearth - a remnant of the old Taillefer Palace.
The oldBishop's Palace at Rue Friedland (15th century)[85] is today the Museum of Fine Arts of Angoulême. The bishop's house contains a number of items that are registered as historical objects:
TheHospital Chapel[91] was the old Chapel of theCordeliers Convent whereGuez de Balzac is buried. The chapel contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
A Tapestry: Pagan Sacrifice to an Idol (18th century)[92]
A Tapestry: Rest after the Harvest (17th century)[93]
TheChurch of Saint-Jacques de Lhoumeau (1840)[101] The church contains a Gallery Organ (18th century) which is registered as an historical object.[102][103][104]
TheChurch of Saint-Martial (1849)[105] in Neo-Romanesque style byPaul Abadie. The church contains a large number of items that are registered as historical objects.[105]
TheChurch 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.[106]
In 1983 the Regional School of Fine Arts in Angoulême (EESI) was created with the first cartoon section in France. Angoulême is home to theInternational City of Cartoons and Images which registers all the comics published in France. There is also atla Cité theENJMIN which is the first state-funded school in Europe for the key subjects of video games and interactive media.
Angoulême, known as the "City of the Image" or "Capital of Cartoons", is known for its "Painted walls" of cartoons "that punctuate the city centre.[110]
End of January:Angoulême International Comics Festival,Late May:Musiques Métisses (Mixed Music),Late August: Festival of Francophone Films,September:Circuit des Remparts (Car Race),Late October: Piano en Valois,Late November: Gastronomades,Early November: The Grand Dance Festival
Angoulême, along with paper and printing, has long been associated with animation, illustration and the graphic arts. The Cité internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l'Image[115] includes an exhibition space and cinema in a converted brewery down by the river. A new museum dedicated to the motion picture opened in 2007 at the newly restoredchais on opposite side of the river at Saint Cybard. The architect was Jean-François Bodin. TheAngoulême International Comics Festival takes place for a week every year in January and attracts nearly a quarter of a million international visitors.
Another festival, small yet influential, is FITA, held each December. FITA stands forForum International des Technologies de l'Animation, International Forum for Animation Technologies. The event was started in 1998. Some 250 to 300 French professionals from animation, effects, post-production and game development studios: SFX supervisors, head of studios, animators, technical directors, meet to share information and hear internationally renowned speakers on the latest advances and new ideas in entertainment technology.
TheCircuit des Remparts motor racing event, with its street circuit around the ramparts and past the Cathedral, is held the Sunday of the middle weekend in September. It is also the occasion of the world's largest gathering of pre-warBugatti race cars,[citation needed] usually around 30 cars, many being examples of the legendary T35, theFerraris of their day. British vintage and classic cars are also in attendance, most having been driven to the event. The Saturday of the "Remparts" weekend includes a tourist rally (as opposed to a speed event) for classic and sporting cars, around the Cognac area.
In another international sports event, Angoulême was the site of the finish of Stages 18 and 19 (ITT) in the2007 Tour de France.
Angoulême also hosts theGastronomades festival at Christmas, MusicMetisse in May andPiano en Valois in October.
A new exhibition centre (Le Parc Des Expos) and a new shopping mall at the Champ de Mars in the town centre (opening Sept/Oct 2007) are the latest additions to the town.
Angoulême is the seat of abishop, aprefect, and anassize court. Its public institutions include tribunals of first instance and of commerce, a council of trade-arbitrators, a chamber of commerce and a branch of the Bank of France. It has several lycées (including the Lycee de l'Image et du Son d'Angoulême (LISA – High School of Image and Sound)), training colleges, a school of artillery, a library and several learned societies.[34]
All medical and paramedical specialties are present.
TheCentre hospitalier d'Angoulême, also called the Hospital of Girac, is in the commune ofSaint-Michel.[117]
The Saint-Joseph clinic is the only remaining clinic in the commune of Angoulême. Other clinics (Victor Hugo, Sainte-Marie, Saint-Cybard, etc.) are combined on one site: the clinical centre ofSoyaux.
The market of Halles, orCovered Market. With its large roof and its late 19th-century architecture, it has been registered as an historical monument since 1993.[118]
The Victor Hugo market
The market of Saint-Cybard
The districts of Basseau and Ma Campagne also have their markets.
Zulma Carraud (1796–1889), writer, lived here in 1830–1834 and frequently hostedHonoré de Balzac who wroteLa Grenadière here in one night[119]
Paul Abadie (1812–1884), architect, built the churches of Saint-Martial, St. Ausone, the school chapel, restored the old castle and turned it into the city hall, andAngoulême Cathedral
Paul Valéry (1871–1945), writer and scholar, visited the ramparts where there is a plaque: "Paul VALERY stopped here on 9 December 1931 AACO reward after a thought, a long look at the calm of the gods[120]
Lucien Loizeau (1879–1978), general and writer, died here
René Olry (1880–1944), general and commander of the Army of the Alps, died here
François Mitterrand (1916–1996), French President (1981–1995), completed his secondary education at Saint-Paul's College of Angoulême
^abcdPierre Dubourg-Noves (dir.),History of Angoulême and its surroundings, Toulouse, Éditions Privat, coll. "Univers de la France et des pays francophones", 1990, 319 p. (ISBN2-7089-8246-X, notice BnF no FRBNF350724243), p. 295-296(in French)
^Letter ofAusone, Louis Maurin in: Jean Combes (dir.) and Michel Luc (dir.),Charente from prehistory to modern times (collective work), St-Jean-d'Y, Imprimerie Bordessoules, coll. "History by documentrs", 1986, 429 p. (ISBN2-903504-21-0, notice BnF no FRBNF34901024q), p. 56,69,70(in French)
^abcdeErnest Nègre,Toponymy General of France, Librairie Droz, Genève, volume 1: Pre-Celtic, Celtic, and Roman formations, 1990, 704 pages, p. 53,Read online, consulted on 31 December 2012(in French)
^Jean Nanglard,Cartulary of the Church of Angoulême, Vol. IX, Bulletins and memoirs of the Archaeological and Historical Society of Charente, imprimerie G.Chasseignac, 1899 (1st edition 1880), 296 p. (Read online), p. 229
^Pierre Dubourg-Noves (dir.), History of Angoulême and its surroundings, Toulouse, Éditions Privat, coll. "Univers de la France et des pays francophones", 1990, 319 p. (ISBN2-7089-8246-X, notice BnF no FRBNF350724243), p. 20(in French)
^abcJean-Marie Cassagne and Stéphane Seguin,Origin of names of towns and villages of Charente, Jean-Michel Bordessoules, 1998, 311 pages, p. 15 and 16,ISBN2-913471-06-4(in French)
^abXavier Delamarre,Dictionary of the Gallic language, éditions Errance, Paris, 2001, p. 199,329,ISBN978-2-87772-198-1(in French). Articleuxellos and-leto
^Jean-Marie Cassagne and Stéphane Seguin,Origin of the names of towns and villages of Charente, Jean-Michel Bordessoules, 1998, 311 pages, p. 59, 151, and 273,ISBN2-913471-06-4(in French)
^José Gomez de Soto in Jean Combes (dir.),History of Poitou and charentais country: Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Clermont-Ferrand, éditions Gérard Tisserand, 2001, 334 p. (ISBN2-84494-084-6,Read online[permanent dead link]), p. 61(in French)
^Jean-François Buisson in Jean Combes (dir.),History of Poitou and charentais country: Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Clermont-Ferrand, éditions Gérard Tisserand, 2001, 334 p. (ISBN2-84494-084-6,Read online[permanent dead link]), p. 99-100(in French)
^Antique Towns and urban areas of South-West Gaul, by Louis Maurin, 1992: Angoulême, Iculisma, Ecolisna(in French)
^Robert Favreau (historian) in Jean Combes (dir.),History of Poitou and Charentais country: Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Clermont-Ferrand, éditions Gérard Tisserand, 2001, 334 p. (ISBN2-84494-084-6,Read online[permanent dead link]), p. 120(in French)
^Quénot,Statistics of Charente, Études locales, February 1921(in French)
^Michel Dillange,The Counts of Poitou, Dukes of Aquitaine: 778-1204, Mougon, Geste éd., coll. "History", 1995, ill., cov. illustrated in colour; 24 cm, 303 p. (ISBN2-910919-09-9,ISSN1269-9454, notice BnF no FRBNF35804152x), p. 56(in French)
^The dates vary between Vigier de la Pile and François Corlieu inHistory of the Angoumois, Paris, Derache (1846, Laffite reprint 2002), 1576, 1760, 160 p. (ISBN2-86276-384-5,Read online)
^Process-verbal delivered to Jean Chandos, Commissary of the King of England and of abandoned French areas by the Treaty of Brétigny, Manuscript from the British Museum - A. Bardonnet - Niort - 1867Histoirepassion website(in French)
^Getting to know Charente, Louis Desgraves, éditions Sud Ouest, p. 23(in French)
^Suzanne Citron,The National myth: the history of France in question, Paris : coédition Les Éditions ouvrières/Édition and documentation internationale, 1991.ISBN2-85139-100-3,ISBN2-7082-2875-7, p. 229(in French)
^Pierre Miquel,The Wars of Religion, Paris, Club France Loisirs, 1980 (ISBN2-7242-0785-8), p. 258(in French)
.svg)
.jpg)
