Angoulême (
L'Angoumois) in western France was part of the
Carolingian Empire as the kingdom of
Aquitaine. Under
Charlemagne's successors, the local Count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1308. By the terms of the
Treaty of Brétigny (1360) the Angoumois, then ruled by the Counts of Angoulême, was ceded as English territory to
Edward III. In 1371 it became a fief of the
Duke of Berry, before passing to
Louis I, Duke of Orleans, both of whom were
cadets of the French royal family. From then on it was held by cadets of the Valois House of Orleans, until
Francis, Count of Angoulême, became King of France in 1515. Angoumois was definitively incorporated into the French crown lands, as a
duchy.