Cognac (Charente)

Geography

The town of Cognac is located on banks of the Charente downstream from Angouleme (44 km) and Jarnac (15 km), and upstream of Saintes (29 km); it especially developed on left bank of the river; the Right Bank part names district Saint-Jacob.

Access

Principal road service roads: RN141 (Holy - Limoges), D731, D732, D24 and D15

Railway service road: line FOR THE THIRD TIME Angouleme - Jarnac - Cognac - Holy - with direct Royan or La Rochelle for some.

It is on one of the ways of Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle and GR4

Districts

The districts Saint-Jacob and Saint Martin's day correspond to old parishes, for Saint Martin's day former to that of Cognac, for Saint-Jacob place reserved to the pilgrims.

Crouin, the city of the hospital and the city of the dolmen are three districts HLM.

Communes bordering

Geology

Hydrography

The city is in a loop of the river with the Saint-Jacob district on other bank.

With each average rising of Charente, between 6 and 7 meters, the quays are submerged and several roads are cut. It is so frequent which panels of the city for " road coupée" are panels " road inondée". It is necessary an important rising so that the ground floors of certain houses are especially flooded along the channel Jean Simon in the Saint-Jacob district. The city itself is with the shelter, and all the streets go up with a very strong slope since the quays of Charente.

Climate

The Cognac area, located at the west of Charente has a oceanic Climat.

History

Prehistory

The area was inhabited since the Paléolithique, of many diffuse traces attest some. With the Neolithic several communities left traces to Crouin , Saint Martin's day and with Trache .

Antiquity

The origins of the town of Cognac are not entirely known. Some think that Cognac corresponds to the site Condate on the old Roman way Via Agrippa connecting Saintes to Limoges (registered on the Table of Peutinger), but nothing is sure because others rather place this Condate on the site of Merpins or Crouin (near in any case to Cognac). One finds also traces of the Cognac origins in the name of a place Conniacum (field of Connius) city at the 1st century which was the field of a chief Gallo-Roman or placed his family and his slaves and who much thinks of being the Cognac origin. The Gallo-Roman sites are numerous. On left bank, the villa of Chatenay which comprises in edge of river the installation of a quay and very many signs of occupation on all the town of Cognac, along the Saint-Simon channel and close to the Saint Martin's day fountain. On Right Bank, a whole Roman habitat was built with the junction of Charente and the Antenna, and especially the vestiges of the villa high-Sarrasine Of more than 80m length, exploited 2nd century at the 3rd century, which testify to an important activity which remains a mystery: ten basins leave the choice between agricultural activity, wine, artisanal… .

The Middle Ages

A little later, of the traces attest of a sure presence in the suburb Saint Martin's day of a small village Carolingien and mérovingien around a votive fountain which will be transformed at the 4th century into vault, probably by the bishop holy Martin itself. The necropolis close to the Saint Martin's day church was used of 7th century to the 18th century and was largest a long time necropolis of the area.

About the year 1000, Itier and Arnaud de Villebois are installed on the future Cognac site to found their dynasty there and build there small a castrum out of wood. In 1031, they are the Benedictines who are installed on the heights to build their priory and a church (the Saint-Leger church). A small borough is formed then around the castrum and of the priory.

Towards 1200, the seigniory of Cognac passes under the domination of the house of England. It is as at this period as the castle is rebuilt out of stone and that a first fortification rings the borough in becoming.

To the 14th century, Philippe Beautiful the attaches the Cognac seigniory to the crown of France. During the War One hundred Year old, with the liking of the combat and treaties, it often changed suzerain.

. In 1570, the Peace of Saint-Germain, signed between the King Charles IX and the admiral Gaspard de Coligny, grants the Protestants four fortified towns: La Rochelle, Cognac, Montauban and the Charity-on-Loire.

In 1610, a certain Jacques Roux sells in Cognac a Eau-de-vie which is regarded as the ancestor of the cognac. In 1651, Cognac supports a seat against the Fronde carried out by Condé, the city will be saved tardily by the arrival of the royal troops. In reward the city receives privileges of the king Louis XIV.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the town of Cognac enters the modern era gently: the ramparts of the city to the abandonment become by places of the gardens of hemps and the walks; they will disappear completely only in 1845. Some English families settle in Cognac and in its area, to develop the brandy trade to with it: Jean Martell (1720), Rémy-Martin (1724), Thomas Hine (1763) with Jarnac, Richard Hennessy (1765) beside local families like Augier and Delamain with Jarnac.

Among the three deputies of the third-state for the district with the General states appears Etienne Augier, " protestant".

Contemporary period

In 1800, Cognac becomes chief town of one of the four districts of the Charente; then sub-prefecture of the department in 1818. It is in 1839 that Cognac can really start to develop with the national highway design (RN141) which will pass by the old northern rampart to avoid the center become inaccessible to the modern vehicles; the bridge will be rebuilt a few hundred meters to prolong this road downstream. Work begins in 1848; the new bridge will be inaugurated in 1850.

In 1847, the local communes are reorganized: Cognac increases by absorbing part of Saint Martin's day and the suburbs of Saint-Lazare , Saint-Anthony and the village of Cagouillet . In 1867, Cognac absorbs Crouin .

In 1870, the countryside cognaçaise is struck of full whip by the Phylloxéra which will destroy large a part of the vineyard. Surprisingly, it is what will make it possible to the traders of the town of develop. Gradually those, thanks to their financial base, will incorporate distillation and the assembly to become producers by buying from now on wine harvests and either brandy. It is in 1891 that the name cognac seems name for local brandies.

The trade of the cognac will set out again soon and allow the growth of the city. In 1878, Claude Boucher settles in Cognac to found a glassmaking there and will invent in 1898 a machine to blow glass. The glassmaking Claude Boucher will be absorbed in 1962 by the company Saint-Gobain.

The family groups of the Cognac changes gradually, while being combined at other companies or with groups of international spirits, it is the beginning of economic separation between the city and its product. In 1971 JAs Hennessy is combined with Moet & Chandon, then in 1987 founds the group LVMH.

Recent events

The storm of at the end of 1999 striking Cognac, like all the area and destroyed most of the François-Ier park and public garden. The park thanks to the work of the municipality and local associations finds its attraction gradually.

In 2004 inauguration of a new museum, the Museum of Arts of the Cognac or MACO.

July 28th 2007, the city accommodated the 19th stage of the Tour de France, a stage Against-the-watch between Cognac and Angouleme.

Administration

The town hall initially settled, as well as the sub-prefecture, in the old convent of Récollets with year VII at year XII Sirs Sarrazin, Caminade and Robin with the head of the municipality

Taxation

The taxation is of a rate of 19,10% on the frame, 58,75% on not built, and 8,14% for the tax of dwelling (figures 2007).

The community of communes of Cognac takes 12,14% of professional tax.

Demography

Out of Cognac is equipped with 3259 inhabitants, Crouin 250 and Saint Martin's day 537 is a total of 4046 for what recovers the current commune.

Economy

Cognac: the city gave its name to a drink, a fine Eau-de-vie, which must be produced on certain soils around Cognac and by respecting standards and rules of production in order to be able to obtain name cognac.

Houses of trade

The five larger houses of cognac in Cognac are: Hennessy, Martell, Rémy-Martin, Camus and Otard.

The wine storehouses of ageing left the city for safety reasons following the fire hazards

In the Cognac area, the economic activity is mainly centered on the related cognac and its supplies.

Industry

Among industries which revolve around the cognac one can quote:

Of the companies of manufacture and sales of agricultural machinery, congestion, labelling, chains of conditioning.
Of to the farms, the distribution service firms of plant health products and supplies for wine storehouses.
Of the companies of manufacture of Still and Tank S.
the cooperage.
the Glassmaking: a manufacturing plant of bottles and bottles of the group Saint-Gobain are installed in extreme cases Cognac, on Châteaubernard.
the work of the Liege for the stoppers.
Of the companies of manufacture of the capsules.
the Printing works for the advertizing labels and documentations.
the cardboard factory and the manufacture of packing.
Of the haulage companies.

To limit the effects of the crises on the cognac, the wine growers develop, in addition to the Pineau of Charentes, a line of Charente-native Local wine requiring type of vines and adapted methods completely different from those applicable to the wines intended for distillation.

Another important employer of the agglomeration is the Air force; at Châteaubernard is located the air base 709 of Cognac, bases school. The grouping school GE 315 resides on this basis, the pilot pupils fly mainly on Socata TB-30 Epsilon.

Cognac is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and Cognac industry.

The town of Cognac remains wedged in spite of the improvement of the connections by rail what harms its economic development whereas it cannot today be satisfied trade of brandy, after Cognac houses were repurchased by holdings which removed most of the stations of local frameworks.

Tourism

traditionally tourism of passage with visit over the day.
Tourism of stay in hotel of great standing
For a few years, another tourism has developed with the municipal camp-site, the rooms of hosts, river tourism on the pénichettes

Culture and inheritance

Culture

the museum of Art and History, in the Public garden of Cognac
the museum of arts of cognac (MACO).
the public library which is next to the church church Saint-Leger. The library founded with the revolution with the books confiscated with the monks was transported to Angouleme and it is only at the end of the 19th century thanks to Emile Albert his work and its donation that Cognac found a remarkable library and a bottom.
the academy of music and dramatic art.
festivals and cultural evenings proposed by the Apron, West Rock'n'roll, Blues Passion…

Demonstrations

Festival of police Cognac film, from June 20th to 24th 2007 (25e birthday)
Festival Blues Passions of Cognac, last weekend of July
Blow of heating, festival of arts of the street the first weekend of September
Festival of the cognac, from July 13rd to 16th
Living room Whodunnit & Co, literary living room of the detective novel
Floral festival of Cognac, flower market
Living room of the European Cognac Literature

Civil and religious inheritance

old Cognac: the medieval part of the city called old Cognac extends from the Saint-Jacob turns, in edge of Charente, to the Saint-Leger church. In this district, near to the castle of the Valois, along paved lanes, houses and private mansions are aligned of with sculptures of salamander (symbol of François Ier), waste-gas mains, frontages richly decorated and half-timbered houses.
the castle of Valois, seat of a house of cognac trade.
the church Saint-Leger
the church Saint Martin's day, the laundrette and the remainders of the cemetery mérovingien
the churches of Romanesque art saintongeais, the home and the castles are numerous in Cognac and in its neighborhoods.
the market hall built about 1858.

Industrial inheritance

the Cognac houses organize visits of their installations.
the glassmaking Saint-Gobain and of cooperages are also visited.
distillings make days " doors ouvertes"

Environmental inheritance

the park François Ier, between the edges of Charente and the city, a classified forest and a base outdoor of leisures.
the Public garden of Cognac, English Garden drawn by the landscape designer Edouard Andre
the Charente river, its banks and its islands, which it is also possible to discover in canoé, pedal boat or in cruising on the gabarre the " Lady-Jeanne".
footpaths, in particular GR4

Activities

cruisings on the barge the " Lady-Jeanne"
cruisings by renting a pénichette
canoe starting from the base outdoor
hiking hiking trails (15 circuits from 2 to 18 km)
automobile excursions circuits stages of the cognac

Equipment or Services

Urban transport

Transcom (subsidiary of Véolia Transport, service of bus of the community of communes

Education

Cognac counts 8 nursery schools, 6 elementary schools, 3 colleges, 3 colleges (including two vocational schools), 2 private schools, 2 colleges and colleges private, and several establishments of professional training and continuing education, as well as a network of assistance specialized for the problem childs.

These Elisee Mounier opened on January 3rd, 1871, under the term of special college, then transformed himself into College of boys, then accepted the girls into final scientist. He became THESE with the construction of the Monnet College. He was renovated in HQE in 2007.

Sports

The equipment is numerous, image of the very many practiced sports what was worth in Cognac a title of the most sporting city of France.

the Plein-air base in edge of Charente proposes in addition to the plays and surfaces of beach-volleyball, foot, pediment, of the hirings of canoés and pedal boats.
the swimming pool covered and with summer, whose restoration is envisaged
the Cognac Yacht Rowing Club club of oar on the edges of Charente
the sports complex which shelters the gymnastics and the tennis shoe
the stages where are Rugby and Foot
the Lucquiaud room which shelters the fencing and the judo
the athletics
cycling
the table tennis
Aïkido, karate, boxes, wrestling
the hikers of cognaçais
Pétanque, musculation, haltérophilie. and much of others since Cognac shelters more than 60 sporting clubs of which some are on other communes of the community of communes as the horse club which is on Cherves-Richemont

Health

Hospital, a new hospital is in the course of construction close to the private clinic within the framework of a hospital pole
the private clinic delocalized center of the old Cognac towards Châteaubernard
In 2001, the Board of directors of the hospital, chaired by the Cognac Mayor, voted the delegation with the private clinic of the hospital public service of surgery.
Old people's homes
General doctors and specialists, dentists, kinesitherapists, nurses and pharmacies.

Mediae

Radio Mixx Fm

Written press the free Charente and Southern West

Famous characters

François I {{er}}, born François of Angouleme was born in 1494 in the castle from the city. He was king de France of 1515 with 1547.

The principal place of the center town bears its name. A statue representing the king with horse dominating his enemies is in the center of this place.

Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran born in Cognac in 1838, it discovered the Gallium in 1875, it insulated the Samarium in 1878.
Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the Europe was born in Cognac in 1888.
Louis Delage, car manufacturer was born in Cognac in 1874.
Claude Boucher main glassmaker with Cognac opens the way with the industrialization of the manufacture of the bottles out of glass by inventing the machine to blow glass with the compressed air in the place of blowing to the mouth about 1880. One of its first machines is visible in a museum of the city.
Gerald Dahan, humorist born in Cognac
François Sagat, star of X gay was born in Cognac

Twinnings

The town of Cognac is dependant with four cities.

Königswinter (Germany)
Perth (Scotland)
Denison (the United States)
Valdepeñas (Spain)

Notes and references of the article

Random links:

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