Discover the charente department

Wine area of Fine Drink whose production enters the composition of the cognac. Antique crossroads of Roman ways of first importance, Rouillac is only with a few kilometers of the Gallo-Roman theatre of Bouchauds located on the commune of Saint-Cybardeaux. It was the largest theatre of Gaule (more than 5000 places) built in rural medium and there remains a remarkable site today where are interfered narrowly the architectural and votive characteristics with Gaule and Rome. In the countryside around a chain of Romance churches of the 12th century is shelled: of Saint-Pierre de Rouillac with Auge, Montigné, Echallat, Genac, Gourville, Mons, Saint-Lover of Nouère, Saint-Cybardeaux... until the imposing abbey one of Marcillac Lanville. A little everywhere, in the many hamlets around Rouillac, the rural architecture Charentaise is revealed with its high walls, its wine storehouses and the proud worked gates, outward signes of wealth of the agricultural properties.

Gently mamelonné to the East and preceding the Charente-Maritime in the West, the Country of Sourness offers without contrast violate a very varied whole of landscapes strewn with villages and characteristic hamlets. Passage for the Atlantic coast, it became a place of stay privileged for those which like the simple tastes of the countryside, the old stones of our rich person inheritance and the benevolent company of quiet people. Sourness, place chief of canton of 15 villages, drains with its three weekly markets and its exceptional variety of trade all the population of the surroundings.

Angouleme, prefecture of Charente and capital of the Angoumois, count today approximately 46000 inhabitants and approximately 120.000 on his agglomeration (15 communes). It represents an important industrial basin with companies diversified like the paper mills, packing and the electrical engineerings. But it is especially in the field of the trades of the image, that Angouleme is affirmed like one of largest the European poles (of the comic strip with the advanced numerical imagery). This evolution, inherited the glorious past of the paper mills angoumoisines, gives today a new breath to the agglomeration. One of the most beautiful example of this evolution is the Center Main road of the Comic strip and Image (CNBDI): The site occupied as of the 6th century by the abbey St Cybard then by the Champigneulles breweries at the beginning of 20th was reorganized in 1987 by the architect Roland Castro. It conceived an architecture "between memory and modernity" which respects the past of the site while creating a frontage of glass which is spread as a book (news functions of the place). On the square, flagstones were created by the artists on the model of the prints of Hollywood. This museum of the data base currently accomodates an exposure on the Imaginary Museums.