Albi is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians . It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi. The episcopal city, around the Cathedral Sainte-Cécile, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2010.

History

After the Roman conquest of Gaul in 51 BC, the town became Civitas Albigensium, the territory of the Albigeois, Albiga. Archaeological digs have not revealed any traces of Roman buildings, which seems to indicate that Albi was a modest Roman settlement.

In 1040, Albi expanded and constructed the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge). New quarters were built, indicative of considerable urban growth.

After the upheaval of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, the bishop Bernard de Castanet, in the late 13th century, completed work on the Palais de la Berbie, a Bishops‘ Palace with the look of a fortress. He ordered the building of the cathedral of Sainte-Cécile starting in 1282.

Albi has conserved its rich architectural heritage which encapsulates the various brilliant periods of its history. Considerable improvement and restoration work has been done, to embellish the old quarters and to give them a new look, in which brick reigns supreme.

Main sights

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares. Red brick and tiles are the main feature of most of the edifices. Along with Toulouse and Montauban, Albi is one of the main cities built in Languedoc-style red brick.

Among the buildings of the town is the Sainte Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is characterised by a strong contrast between its austere, defensive exterior and its sumptuous interior decoration. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy, this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries.

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops‘ Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France.

The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still in use after almost a millennium. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on eight arches and is 151 m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified and reinforced with a drawbridge, and houses were built on the piers.

Albi is a city known for its elite Lycée Lapérouse, a high school with 500 students situated inside an old monastery. It has several advanced literature classes. Furthermore, it is one of the few holding a full-scale music section with special high-tech rooms for this section.

Located in an ancient mill (41 rue Porta), the Le LAIT Art Centre is a research laboratory dedicated to contemporary art.

Toulouse-Lautrec

The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum houses more than 1000 works, including 31 famous posters.

A World Heritage Site

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre notes the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter, the quarter’s church, the fortified cathedral (late 13th century) in unique southern French Gothic style from local brick, the bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, and residential quarters, which help the Episcopal City of Albi form a „coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries… a complete built ensemble representative of a type of urban development in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day.“

Transport

Albi is served by two railway stations on the line from Toulouse to Rodez:

• Gare d’Albi-Ville
• Gare d’Albi-Madeleine

Education

• École des mines d’Albi-Carmaux
• Jean-François Champollion University Center for Teaching and Research

Sport

• SC Albi – The city’s rugby union team
• RC Albi – A rugby league team
• Albi held Stage 13 of the 2007 Tour de France. The stage was a 55 km (34 mi) individual time trial which started and finished in the city.
• Albi was the finish of Stage 10 of the 2019 Tour de France on Mon 15th of July.
• Circuit d’Albi, a motor racing circuit used for national racing surrounding Albi’s airport.