ANGOULME

city, capital of Charente dpartement, Poitou-Charente rgion, former capital of Angoumois, southwestern France. It lies on a high plateau above the junction of the Charente and Anguienne rivers, southwest of Limoges. Taken from the Visigoths by Clovis in 507, it was the seat of the counts of Angoulme from the 9th century. Fought over by the French and English in the Hundred Years' War, it also suffered in the religious wars of the late 16th century. Angoulme's 19th-century town hall occupies the site of the counts' chteau (birthplace of Margaret of Angoulme), of which two towers, the Valois (15th century) and the Lusignan (13th century), remain. The Cathedral of Saint-Pierre (110528; restored 19th century) is a domed Romanesque-Byzantine structure whose elaborate facade, enriched with Romanesque sculpture, contrasts sharply with the stark, aisleless interior. Angoulme's old city ramparts have been razed to make way for boulevards with extensive views. The Land of Angoulme was the name given to the site of present-day New York City in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazano, who discovered the harbour while serving King Francis I, who was also Count of Angoulme. The city's diversified industries, mostly located in the surrounding suburbs, includes papermaking and the manufacture of felt, iron, jewelry, bricks, and refrigerators. Pop. (1990) 46,194.