With the red brick, the banks of the Tarn, the relaxed rhythm of life in the South West, the distant memory of the Cathars, or even that of the famous painter Toulouse-Lautrec….Albi is a magnificent city!

Its Episcopal City is home to the Sainte-Cécile cathedral, the gem of the city, the Berbie Palace containing the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, the Saint-Salvi church and its cloister, the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge) and a section of the banks of the Tarn. The Episcopal City of Albi has been listed Unesco World Heritage since 2010.

A brick dream
This harmonious and logical remarkably-preserved urban structure constitutes a unique representation of brick in architecture, which is omnipresent in Albi, often nicknamed the “red city”.

In the 13th century, the city became a powerful episcopal city immediately following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. It was in this social context that the Berbie Palace and the Sainte-Cécile cathedral were constructed. The city's prosperity enabled it to construct and preserve a magnificent collection of urban structures around these emblematic buildings.

Sainte-Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic art
Boasting an original Southern Gothic style and built with red and orange-coloured bricks made locally, the fortified cathedral that overlooks the city bears witness to the power of the Roman clergy.

Albi's cathedral is the only one in Europe with walls and vaults that have been painted in their entirety. Its interior decoration reveals an impressive mural of the Last Judgement, created between 1474 and 1484. The frescoes that illustrate the cathedral's vaults form the biggest collection of Italian painting from the beginning of the Renaissance.

The chancel is a masterpiece of Flamboyant Gothic art. The statuary confined within it constitutes a major expression of French art from the end of the Middle Ages: here visitors can admire 270 statues created in the workshops of the Burgundian masters of Cluny.

The organ case, built by Christophe Moucherel in the 18th century, is extremely large and is exceptionally decorated.

The Berbie Palace
The construction of the fortified castle and Berbie Palace was instigated by the first Bishop of Albi, Bernard de Combret, during the  last stage of the Crusade. This fortress, with impressive walls up to 7m thick, endowed with blind walls and defended by arch machicolations and crenels, is embellished with Renaissance buildings and, since the 17^th century, French formal gardens.

Today the palace is home to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, boasting collections composed of more than 1,000 works of art by this painter who originated from Albi.

The Saint-Salvi collegiate and cloister
Up until the Revolution, the Saint-Salvi Collegiate contained the Holy Sepulchre of Salvi, the bishop of Albi in the 6^th century. Its architecture combines Romanesque (10^th century) and Gothic (13^th century) elements.

On the southern side of the collegiate was once a cloister, but now only the southern gallery remains. Built from 1270, like the church it combines Romanesque forms (semi-circular arches) with Gothic elements (capitals, decorated pillars).

The Pont-vieux (Old Bridge)
Built around 1040, the Pont-vieux played a major role in the city's economic development.

To find out more
The Episcopal City of Albi on the Unesco website
The official site of the Episcopal City of Albi
Albi Tourist Office
The website for Albi city council