"Cognac country " is made up of a very large tourist area in the south-east of the former Saintonge province, bordering the Angoulême region.
Colonised in the past by the Romans, the Gallo-roman amphitheatre "Les Bouchauds" in the Rouillac area still bears witness to their presence, as does what remains of the Agrippan Way.
History is ever-present in the area between Segonzac and Jarnac too. The Condé Pyramid is a reminder to visitors that the Wars of Religion tore Huguenots and Catholics apart. The "Coup de Jarnac", a blow which cut the back of the knee of the best swordsman in the Kingdom of France, takes us back to the time of François Ier who was born in Cognac and did all in his power to help his native town.
Finally, near Châteauneuf sur Charente, there is the famous abbey of Bassac which reminds us that the Saintonge is the ultimate place to come to see Romanesque art.
