Château d'Angoulême
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The Château d'Angoulême was a castle in the town of Angoulême, in the Charente département of France. The only remaining parts are the keep of Lusignan and the tower of Valois, which are part of the Town Hall of Angoulême, together with a construction of the 19th century.
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[edit] History
The rocky outcrop which dominates the Charente River and the Anguienne had been a strategical position for a long time. The first fortress on this site was built at the end of the Roman Empire. A rampart protecting a 27 ha area has been maintained until the 13th century.
From the 10th to the 13th century, the Counts of Angoulême, the Taillifer then the Lusignan, strenghtened the fortifications of the town, and enlarged them to include the Saint-Martial quarter.
In 1308, after the death of Guy de Lusignan, the county of Angoulême returned to the French Crown. It was then given to Louis d'Orléans in 1394, and then fell by inheritance to his son Jean de Valois, father of Marguerite d'Angoulême and Francis I.
The duke of Épernon, governor of Angoumois, received Marie de' Medici when she escaped in 1619. After, the castle became the residence of the governors.
In 1840, the town bought the castle to house the Town Hall. The mayor Paul Abadie destroyed the main part, dating from the 15th century. The keep and a tower were preserved thanks to the pressure of the Archaeological and Historical Society of Charente.
[edit] Architecture
The keep, the châtelet and the château neuf were built during the 12th and 13th centuries. During the 15th century, a square pavillon was added to the Tour Marguerite. This pavillon included a polygonal turret containing the staircase.
At the end of the 15th century were constructed star shaped fortifications; two turrets had remained in rue Bélat and rue du Sauvage.
Of the castle of Counts of Angoulême, the keep of Lusignan and the tower of Valois only remains. They have been listed as monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1929.
[edit] Bibliograpy
- Châteaux manoirs logis, la Charente, éditions patrimoines et médias 1993, ISBN 2.910137.05.8 (French)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- This article was initially translated from this Wikipedia article « fr:Château d'Angoulême » , specifically from this version.
