Charente is the department of cognac, the Romans and knights, a land of passage on the route from Tours to Bordeaux, where ancient ruins, Saintonge Romanesque art and Renaissance and Classical-style mansions stand side by side. The River Charente, “the most beautiful stream in the kingdom” according to Henry IV, winds lazily through a landscape of vineyards and meadows that forms the cradle of cognac, the world-renowned brandy.
Cognac, the birthplace of François I, boasts a medieval castle converted into cellars where one of the most renowned cognacs is aged. Angoulême, built on a plateau overlooking the meandering Charente, boasts a remarkable Romanesque cathedral and fortifications that bear witness to its strategic role in the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of Religion. La Rochefoucauld, whose Renaissance château has been inhabited by the same family since the 10th century, is one of the finest examples of a stately home in Charente.
The Romanesque architecture of the Saintonge region, with its sculpted façades featuring remarkable arches, and the entrance gatehouses of the Charente wine estates, form a unique architectural heritage that sets the department apart from its neighbours in Bordeaux and Poitou.