Cognac, Charente facts for kids

The official symbol of Cognac, France

Cognac is a town in southwestern France. It is located in the Charente area, which is like a county or district. Cognac is an important administrative center for this area. People who live in Cognac are called Cognaçais.

Where is Cognac?

Cognac is found along the Charente River. It sits between two other towns, Angoulême and Saintes. Most of the town is on the left side of the river, but there's a smaller part on the right side called the Saint Jacques district. Cognac is also on a famous old path that pilgrims used to take to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The French Air Force has a training base near the town. Cognac is about 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Paris.

A Look at Cognac's Past

We don't know much about Cognac before the 800s, but it became a fortified town later. During the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France, Cognac changed hands many times due to battles and peace agreements.

A famous French king, Francis I, gave Cognac special rights to trade salt along the river. This helped the town become very successful in business. Because of this success, Cognac grew into a center for making wine and, later, brandy.

Cool Places to See in Cognac

• The Old Town: This part of Cognac, called "Vieux Cognac," is from the Middle Ages. It stretches from the old Saint-Jacques towers along the river to the Saint-Léger church. You'll find many unique buildings here, built between the 1400s and 1700s, on narrow, cobblestone streets. Look closely, and you might see sculptures of a salamander, which was the symbol of King Francis I. There are also interesting gargoyles and fancy decorations on the buildings.
• The Château des Valois: This old castle was an important trading spot in medieval times.
• The Saint-Léger Church: A beautiful old church to explore.
• The Art and History Museum: Here you can learn about the town's past and see various artworks.
• The Cognac Arts Museum: This museum focuses specifically on the art and history related to the famous drink.
• Glassworks and Barrelworks: You can visit places where glass bottles and wooden barrels are made, which are important for the local industry.
• Cognac Public Garden: A lovely park where you can relax.

Around Cognac, you can also find many old Romanesque churches and several other castles.

The Famous Drink: Cognac

The town of Cognac gives its name to one of the world's most famous types of brandy. This special drink is made in specific areas around the town. It must follow very strict rules to be called "Cognac."

What makes Cognac unique is that it is distilled twice. This process makes the drink very smooth. Many of the big Cognac companies, like Hennessy, Martell, Otard, Camus, and Remy Martin, have visitor centers in the town. You can often take tours to see how Cognac is made. About 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Cognac is the town of Jarnac, which is home to Courvoisier, another well-known Cognac brand.

Famous People from Cognac

Many important people were born in or lived in Cognac:

• Francis I (King of France from 1515 to 1547) was born in the town's castle in 1494. The main square in Cognac is named after him, and there's a large statue of him on horseback in the center.
• The French poet Octavien de Saint-Gelais was born in Cognac in 1468.
• Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, born in Cognac in 1838, discovered two chemical elements: Gallium in 1875 and Samarium in 1878.
• Jean Monnet, one of the people who helped create the European Union, was born in Cognac in 1888.
• The car maker Louis Delâge was born in Cognac in 1874.
• The glassmaker Claude Boucher, who invented a glass-blowing machine around 1880, also lived and worked in Cognac.

Sports in Cognac

• US Cognac is the town's rugby union team.
• Cognac was the starting point for Stage 19 of the famous 2007 Tour de France bicycle race.

Tourism

If you want to visit Cognac and its vineyards, you can take a "Cognac Tasting Tour." These tours help you explore the area and learn more about the famous drink.

Images for kids

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  Cognac in the old Province of Angoumois (1789)

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  The Château des Valois

See also

In Spanish: Cognac (Francia) para niños