Near Le Phénix Chambres d'Hôtes - Albi
(25 minutes from Le Phénix)
Albi Cathedral
Albi from the Air
Albi lies on the banks of the Tarn and is a beautiful city filled with culture, shops and restaurants. The vast red-brick Cathédrale Ste-Cécile was built in the aftermath of the Albigensian crusade in 1265. It was intended as a reminder to potential heretics that the Church meant business. From a distance, its semi-circular towers and narrow windows give it the appearance more of a fortress that a place of worship. Every feature, from the huge bell tower to the apocalyptic fresco of the Last Judgement, is on a giant scale, built deliberately to dwarf the average human being. The effect is absolutely breathtaking.
Comte Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi and the musée Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the Palais de la Berbie contains the most complete permanent collection of the artist's work in existance, including paintings and drawings and his famous posters for the Moulin- Rouge. There are also canvases by Matisse, Dufy and Yves Brayer.
Useful Links:
Mairie Albi
Albi Tourist Office