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CharenteOn the trail of Francis I in Charente

The Charente, in the south west of France, is equidistant between the cities of Bordeaux and Poitiers. "Land of Beauty", famous for its cognac vineyards and its Romanesque churches, the Charente allows its visitors to give free reign to their fancies: pleasure sailing on the river Charente, visits to vineyards and cognac cellars, culinary tradition, and of course the birthplace of Francis I.

The young Count d?Angoulême, distant heir to the Crown, lived in this region for five years, surounded by a small provincial Court, before he was asked to come to the Loire Valley by his uncle Louis XII.

? The Château de Cognac, built between the 13th and the 16th centuries, was the residence of the Valois family. Francis I was born there in 1494.
(the town of Angoulême was the capital of the county of the same name and home to the younger branch of the Royal house of the Valois).



Francis first as a young man

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