Angoulême, the capital or prefecture of the Charente département, sits proudly on a plateau above a meander of the River Charente. Under the Ancien Régime the City was the fortified capital of the Angoumois (an area stretching about 40-50km in all directions from the City) and the home of the Counts of Angoulême from the 9th century.

Badly affected during the Hundred Years War between the French and the English, it was frequently besieged and it was destined to suffer again during the Wars of Religion.

More recently Angoulême has developed into a prosperous small city with several industries including papermaking. The old ramparts have been demolished and replaced with modern boulevards.

What to see

The 19th century Hôtel de Ville built on the site of the Count of Angoulême’s Château, incorporates two Medieval towers, the Lusignan Tower (13th century) and the Valois Tower (15th century).