Albi is a town in southern France. It is pronounced "al-bee" in French and "al-bee" in Occitan. Albi is the main city of the Tarn department, located on the Tarn River, 85 kilometers northeast of Toulouse. People who live in Albi are called Albigensians. In French, they are also called Albigeois and Albigeoise. In Occitan, they are called albigés-esa. Albi is the home of the Archbishop of Albi. The city, especially the area around the Cathedral Sainte-Cécile, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 because of its special buildings. The site includes the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, which honors the artist who was born in Albi.

History

The first human settlement in Albi dates back to the Bronze Age (3000–600 BC). After the Roman conquest of Gaul in 51 BC, the town was known as Civitas Albigensium, the territory of the Albigeois, or Albiga. Archaeologists have not found evidence of Roman buildings, suggesting that Albi was a small Roman settlement.

In 584, Gregory of Tours recorded that most of the town’s people died from a plague.

In 1040, Albi expanded and built the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge). New areas were constructed, showing significant growth. The city became wealthy during this time due to trade, commercial exchanges, and tolls collected from travelers using the Pont Vieux.

In 1208, the Pope and the French king worked together to fight the Cathars, a group that practiced a form of ascetic Christian dualism, a belief the Catholic Church considered dangerous. The suppression was harsh, and many Cathars were executed by burning. The region, which had been largely independent, became so weakened that it was later taken over by the French Crown.

By the late 13th century, after the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, the local bishop, Bernard de Castanet, completed the Palais de la Berbie, an episcopal palace that looked like a fortress. Castanet began building the cathedral of Sainte-Cécile in 1282. The town prospered economically because of the cultivation of Isatis Tinctoria, also called woad. The elegant homes built during the Renaissance reflect the wealth earned by pastel merchants.

During the medieval period, Albi had a small Jewish community, but this group was destroyed in the 1320s during the Shepherds' Crusade. Afterward, Jews were only allowed to pass through the town by paying a fee and were not permitted to live there. By 1967, about 70 Jews, mostly of North African origin, had returned to Albi.

Albi has preserved its rich architectural heritage, which reflects the many important periods in its history. Extensive restoration work has been done to improve the old neighborhoods and give them a new appearance, with brick being the dominant material. The Hôtel de Ville, also made of brick, was built by at least 1682.

Main sights

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

Among the buildings in the town is the Sainte Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is known for the strong difference between its simple, defensive outside and its beautifully decorated inside. Built to show the strength of the Christian faith after the problems caused by the Cathar heresy, this large brick structure was decorated over time. Features include the Dominique de Florence Doorway, a 78-meter-high bell tower, and the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a delicate stone design in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a large group of colorful statues carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny, with over 200 statues that still have their original colors.

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, once the Bishops' Palace of Albi and now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France. This large fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. Its name comes from the Occitan word "Bisbia," meaning "Bishops' Palace."

The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still used after almost 1,000 years. Originally built with stone in 1035 and later covered with brick, it has eight arches and is 151 meters long. In the 14th century, it was strengthened with a drawbridge, and houses were built on the bridge supports.

Albi is known for its elite Lycée Lapérouse, a high school with 500 students located in an old monastery. It offers advanced literature classes and is one of the few schools with a full music program, including high-tech rooms for music. The Pacific explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse, is honored in the museum.

Located in an old mill (41 rue Porta), the Le LAIT Art Centre is a research laboratory focused on contemporary art.

The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum holds more than 1,000 works, including 31 famous posters. This collection is the largest public group of works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was born in Albi in 1864.

UNESCO's World Heritage Centre highlights the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter, the quarter's church, the fortified cathedral (late 13th century) in the unique southern French Gothic style made from local brick, the bishop's Palais de la Berbie, and residential areas. These features help the Episcopal City of Albi form a "coherent and homogeneous group of buildings and areas that have remained largely unchanged over the centuries… a complete built group representing a type of urban development in Europe from the Middle Ages to the present day."

Transport

Albi has two train stations on the train line that connects Toulouse to Rodez:

• Gare d'Albi-Ville
• Gare d'Albi-Madeleine

The A68 motorway links Albi to Toulouse and will eventually connect to Lyon via the N 88 route.

The closest airport is Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, which is 84 kilometers (52 miles) southwest of Albi.

Sport

• SC Albi – The city's rugby union team that plays in the second-level rugby league called Pro D2.
• RC Albi – A rugby league team that participates in the Elite One Championship.
• US Albi – A Union Sports Football Club founded in 1912 in Albi that plays in the Regional 2 league.
• Albi hosted Stage 13 of the 2007 Tour de France. The stage was a 55 km (34 mi) individual time trial that began and ended in the city.
• Albi was the finish location for Stage 10 of the 2019 Tour de France on Monday, July 15. A rest day was held in Albi on July 16, and Albi was the starting point for Stage 11, which traveled to Toulouse on Wednesday, July 18.
• Albi was the finish location for Stage 5 of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on Thursday, July 27. The stage winner was Ricarda Bauernfeind (Germany) of Team Canyon/Sram Racing. Bauernfeind was making her first appearance in the Tour.
• Circuit d'Albi – A motor racing circuit used for national racing events around Albi's airport.

Education

• School of Mines in Albi-Carmaux
• Jean-François Champollion University Center for Teaching and Research

Climate

Albi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) that is similar to an oceanic climate (Cfb). Like many places in southwestern France, Albi's summers are usually hotter and its winters are usually milder than other areas with similar climate classifications. The significant amount of rain that falls in the summer prevents Albi's climate from being classified as Mediterranean.

Notable people

• Antoinette de Saliès (1639–1730) was a writer and feminist.
• Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (1741–1788) was a Pacific explorer.
• Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières (1815–1895) was a military engineer and general.
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901) was a painter, caricaturist, and illustrator.
• Pierre Benoit (1886–1962) was a novelist and screenwriter.
• Isabelle Candelier (born 1963) is an actress.

Gallery

• Albi
• Cathedral of Albi
• St. Madeleine Church in Albi
• Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile
• Choir section of the cathedral
• Paintings depicting the Last Judgment inside the cathedral
• Collégiale Saint-Salvi, the oldest church in Albi, dedicated to Saint Salvius
• Hôtel Reynès (Renaissance-style building)
• Maison Enjalbert (Renaissance-style building)
• Tarn River in Albi
• Riverbanks of the Tarn River
• Map of Albi from 1914