Cognac

This article is about the commune in France. For the drink, see Cognac (brandy).

For the people in northeast India, see Konyak.

Cognac
Town hall
Cognac
Location within Poitou-Charentes region  Cognac
Administration
Country	France
Region	Poitou-Charentes
Department	Charente
Arrondissement	Cognac
Mayor	Michel Gourinchas (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	5–53 m (16–174 ft) (avg. 27 m/89 ft)
Land area1	15.5 km2 (6.0 sq mi)
Population2	19,066  (2008)
- Density	1,230 /km2 (3,200 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	16102/ 16100
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 45°41′45″N 0°19′45″W / 45.69583333334°N 0.3291666667°W / 45.69583333334; -0.3291666667

Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

Geography

Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right bank area known as the Saint Jacques district. The town is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella. The town is also home to the French Air Force training base 709. Cognac is 400 kilometres (250 mi) southwest of Paris.

History

Unknown prior to the 9th century, the town was subsequently fortified. During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed sides on several occasions as the result of fighting and treaties in the region.

Francis I granted the town the right to trade salt along the river, guaranteeing strong commercial success, which in turn led to the town's development as a centre of wine and later brandy.

Population

Historical population of Cognac

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1841	1846	1851	1856	1861
2846	2827	3134	2947	3409	4118	4947	5835	7085	8167

1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896	1901
9412	13,677	14,900	14,087	15,200	17,392	20,228	19,483

1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
19,469	19,188	18,876	17,452	17,404	16,305	17,479	19,026

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008
20,798	22,062	22,237	20,660	19,528	19,525	19,066

The inhabitants of the town are known as Cognaçais.

Sights

• The Old Town. The town's medieval quarter "Vieux Cognac" runs from the Tours Saint-Jacques, alongside the river, up to the Saint-Léger church. The area contains many unusual buildings, built between the 15th and 18th centuries, situated on narrow cobbled streets. Many contain sculptures of the salamander, the symbol of King François I, as well as gargoyles and richly decorated façades.
• The Château des Valois, an important medieval trading post.
• The Saint-Léger church. [Church Exterior:,^[1][2]
• The musée d'Art et d'Histoire (art and history museum)
• The musée des arts du Cognac (art museum)
• The Saint-Gobain glassworks and barrelworks
• Cognac Public Garden

The area also contains many Romanesque churches as well as several châteaux.

Cognac

Main article: Cognac (drink)

The town gives its name to one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau de vie. Drinks must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly-defined regulations to be granted the name Cognac.

Cognac is a unique spirit in that it is double-distilled. This process can be viewed in one of the many "Grande Marque" Cognac houses which all have visitor centres. Most central in the town are Hennessey, Martell, Otard, Camus and Remy Martin. About 15 km (9.32 mi) East of Cognac is Jarnac, home to Courvoisier.

There are six vineyard areas around the Cognac area, all of which are within the Appellation Controlee for Cognac, but which are considered to vary in quality from the best growth area of "Grande Champagne" (nothing to do with the Champagne wine region in NE France), through "Petite Champagne" then "Borderies", "Fine Bois", "Bon Bois" and finally "Bois Ordinaire". The best Cognacs are generally only made using Grande and Petite Champagne grapes, but all Cognac is produced by blending a variety of "Eau de Vie" which can be made from grapes from different locations, and from different vintages. It is the Cellar master's skill that ensures that a brand's Cognac is recognisable regardless of when it is produced since he can blend multiple eaux de vie to achieve the right taste for his house.

Different qualities of Cognac are produced by all brands, and include VS ("Very Special"); VSOP ("Very Superior [or, more commonly, "Special", though the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac specifies "Superior"] Old Pale") and XO ("eXtra Old"). (English terms are still used, since in the early days of Cognac production it was the British and Irish who were the main consumers and also became some of the main producers of Cognac, using techniques acquired from the distillation of whisky, etc.) These are controlled by the length of time the Cognac is allowed to mature in oak barrels, a minimum time being required at each grade level. The longer the Cognac matures in the barrel the smoother it will generally become. Once it is bottled no further development takes place. Most houses still have barrels of Cognac dating back to the 19th century sitting in their cellars waiting for fine blending by the Cellar Master.

Personalities

• Francis I (king of France between 1515 and 1547) was born in the town's castle in 1494. The town's main square is named after him and a statue of the king on horseback towering over his enemies stands at the centre.
• The French poet Octavien de Saint-Gelais was born in Cognac in 1468.
• Paul-Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, born in Cognac in 1838 discovered the elements Gallium in 1875 and Samarium in 1878.
• Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the European Union was born in Cognac in 1888.
• The car manufacturer Louis Delâge was born in Cognac in 1874.
• The glassmaker Claude Boucher, inventor of the glass-blowing machine in around 1880, lived and worked in Cognac.
• The French adult film star and model François Sagat was born in Cognac.

Sport

• US Cognac is the city's rugby union team.
• Cognac was the start of Stage 19 in the 2007 Tour de France.

Twin towns—sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Cognac is twinned with:

• Denison, Texas, USA
• Königswinter, Germany
• Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom
• Valdepeñas, Spain

Gallery

The musée des arts du Cognac   The Château des Valois   The Château des Valois

See also

• Communes of the Charente department

References

• INSEE

1. ^ http://www.bernezac.com/Cognac_St_Leger_03.jpg
2. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}

External links

• (English) Official website