In this episode, I drive to La Rochefoucauld-en-Angoumois, a town of 3000 people about 20 minutes by car from Angoulême. Once served by the rail line to Limoges, the town is now only accessible by car, bus and bike.
The château dominates the medieval town center, but many more hidden gems can be found in the details. A lovely place to stop for a meal, a visit to the local shops, a walk through the parks or for the numerous local events, La Rochefoucauld is a popular destination for people in Charente.
00:00 – 00:55 Introduction
00:55 – 01:30 Culture Question Teaser
01:30 – 03:15 Le château
03:15 – 05:20 Historical Landmarks
05:20 – 06:45 The Industrial Age
06:45 – 07:55 Tanning & Textiles
07:55 – 13:07 La Rochefoucauld Today (Commerçants et activités)
13:07 – 15:00 Conclusion
Local museums about the French Resistance during World War 2:
Maison de la Résistance, Chassneuil-sur-Bonnieure
T-F 10 AM-12 PM / 2-5:30 PM
https://www.chasseneuilsurbonnieure.fr/maison-de-la-resistance/
Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Angoulême
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_de_la_R%C3%A9sistance_et_de_la_d%C3%A9portation_d%27Angoul%C3%AAme
#france #geohistory #history #wwii #worldwar2 #usa #charente #cognac #historyhit #curseofoakisland #english #railway #railroad #romanhistory #medieval #templars #churches #knightstemplar
[Music] hi welcome back to touring back roads France today we’re visiting the town of lahos Fuko in shahon and as you can see behind me this lovely Castle is the crown jewel of this town so why don’t you join me today as we take a tour and I show you what there is to see and do and a little bit about the history and the culture of this lovely town in shahon today we’ll be exploring a little about the history of the Town its importance in the region as well as some of the local current events as a town of approximately 3,200 inhabitants it is situated to the east of the prefecture in angur along the main road to Lio and the dordon region but before we go further what do you think is the means of transportation that is most underused and a source of political movement here in L fuku stick around to the end of the video and I’ll give you the latest details to start off any visit to lar ruko wouldn’t be complete without taking a closer look at the Chateau which dominates the landscape the earliest vestiges date from the 10th Century starting a long line of Lords Barons counts and Dukes that held prominence in the region until the time of the French Revolution the current Duke and Duchess still reside in the castle today with portions open to the public during visiting hours in the 11th century the square Fortress was dominated by a defensive keep which is still clearly visible today at the heart of the present site in 1350 guard towers were added in the back of the second guard room you will find the rock of Fuko to which the town owes its name in the 15th century the grand staircase and galleries were built attributed to designs of Leonardo da Vinci and his contributions to the monarchy under Francis I in omaz the castle played an important role throughout medieval and Renaissance times as well as during the second world war located at the border of Nazi occupied territory and vishi the castle along with the others to the north such as shosu became reference points for both occupying forces which often commandeered castles for their own personal use as well as refugees who attempted to flee the occupation for their own personal safety in addition shaant was one of the epicenters of the French Resistance which targeted supply lines Railways and fuel Depots in their attempt to stall the Nazi war effort after 1940 there are two local museums dedicated to the French Resistance one is in ch and the other in urm if you’re interested in learning more about them take a look at the names and links in the description and on my website the town has several other important historical landmarks the monastery known as the KU C is open to the public in the town center free of charge built in the 14th century under ghe I 7th of lahos fuku it asserted his power and loyalty to King Philip V of France it remained a spiritual and educational center for the town and region until the wars of religion between Protestants and Catholics in the 17th century it was pillaged and abandoned by the hugen in the 20th century it served as a military Hospital during World War I a middle school a cinema and a center for cultural activities the gothic style Church dates from the Middle Ages it’s unusual for this part of France a majority of the churches in shaant are of Roman style and many feature kolas or domes but laros Fuko stands out as an exception to the rule built during the Hundred Years War local Legends persist about the role of Jon of Arc and her visit to the town fighting the English before being burned at the stake in hu in 1431 one striking example is found in the details of the church a gargoyle in the form of a pig’s head figures prominently It’s a cruel reference to Pi koson who played a key role in jonov AR’s execution kon’s name is pronounced like the word koson or pig in French the church did not escape the religious wars that followed suffering pillage and vandalism over the centuries the town protected itself from 1397 onwards by building defensive stone walls over 5 ft thick six Gates and five flanking watchtowers in addition Moes were added to reinforce the defenses along the river with the Advent of gunpowder and Cannon the walls became more of an obstacle to the growing Town than useful defense by that time France was the dominant military force in Europe with wars being fought outside its borders by the mid 19th century and the arrival of the Railway City walls and medieval defensive structures had mostly disappeared the industrial era saw Laos Fuko grow with new opportunities including the arrival of rail service officially opened in 1875 after two decades of regional planning the placement of the town along the west to east rail Corridor intended to link Bordeaux and Leon was not a sure thing deputies and representatives from the region fought hard to get the rail company known as the comp shant to select a route that would follow the Valley of the vien River thus providing a rail connection to the population over the 150 years spanning its use it was absorbed in the 1980s under FR M into the public SN F Railway which was all French Freight and passenger service this route served until 2018 when several million euros of repairs would have been necessary to keep the line running safely instead of investing that money at the time the line was closed severing a key artery in Regional passenger and even national freight rail service at the time of this video in 2024 there are plans to reopen the line with considerable repairs and maintenance costs estimated now at between 5 and 150 million it is unknown if the line will remain in the public domain or become privatized when I asked about the project at the Town Hall there was no additional information to [Music] report starting in the Middle Ages and continuing until the end of the 19th century Lush fuku became specialized in tanning that is to say not basking in the sun all day but rather the art of turning animal hides into leather it’s an activity that requires a lot of water it’s noisy unhealthy and it stinks an entire quarter of the Town away from the center was dedicated to this activity it also gave rise to the textile industry after the railway and electricity arrived Lush fuku became the location of a 22 acre textile site that employed as many as 2,000 people in the 1970s today the site is largely abandoned and has been the focal point of abatement for soil contaminants for the last decade as the site returns to other uses de-industrialization has taken over generally in France the local economy has turned to other activities and sources of income in recent years [Music] in today’s world L Roo has kept its small streets and medieval charms alongside all the conveniences of Modern Life you can find many nice shops and restaurants in the Town Center many of which are small businesses that help out the local economy a shopping center is also located just outside of town next to the highway exit I wanted to stop in and talk with some of the local shopkeepers about what makes luko a special place to them let’s go in for a visitour [Music] [Music] fore for [Music] for for [Music] [Music] [Music] in addition to the shops and quaint Town atmosphere you can find a large number of events festivals and fairs throughout the year the summer months are generally the best for weather as well as tourism despite our somewhat lousy weather this spring I did get a chance to meet up with some of the local sports enthusiasts at the recent Athletics fair I worked with another journalist on this part so all I did was film this interview I’m not the one asking the questions [Music] ET [Music] in addition to its other qualities theuk is known for its classic automobile dealerships one of the most notable or perhaps notorious has recently closed but others remain there’s a healthy market for classic cars in the area boosted by the annual in as well as modern classic enthusiasts such as myself if you’re in the market for such a vehicle as well as for parts or maintenance talk to some of the local dealerships their expertise in the market is solid if the language barrier is an obstacle small businesses such as Gregory Alexander Consulting can help you with translation or administrative paperwork to get the job done so what do you think is the most underused form of transportation in luku if you chose the railway you are right if you paid attention during the video you’ll know that despite efforts to improve Regional accessibility the current state of local Rail lines has left many residents dismayed and frustrated hopes are that the region and the government will fund the necessary repairs to restore rail service here as quickly as possible as always if you like the content on touring back roads France please like And subscribe to the channel your support is greatly appreciated if you’re interested in more information about a fuku check out the tourism office I called them and stopped in twice they seem to be pretty busy so hopefully you’ll have better luck than I did as I continueed to develop this project meeting with local residents shopkeepers follow-up episodes to some of these towns there certainly a possibility coming soon summer festivals outdoor bulon meeting elected officials and the Templars in sh [Music] [Music]