The best traffic-free bike rides around Sainte-Gemme

Coming to Albi without making a detour to the Sainte-Cécile cathedral is not possible. This religious building in red brick will amaze you as it is so imposing. For my part, it reminds me of an immense stone vessel. Faced with such majesty, you will understand why it has been classified with the episcopal city of Albi since July 31, 2010 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first cathedral dates back to the 4th century, but it was during the 13th century that it was profoundly modified by major works. Under the aegis of Sainte-Cécile, patron saint of musicians, take the time to visit this marvel. It is the most visited cathedral in France ahead of Notre-Dame de Paris.

Very pretty, quiet and well-shaded greenway!

Saint CECILE, to whom the cathedral in Albi was dedicated, is, among the large circle of saints, primarily responsible for good sound - if one can put it so casually at this point - because she is the patron saint of church music. Many religious choirs are named after her. The dates of her life from the corresponding saint's legend are not historically certain, but she is said to be a martyr from the beginning of the third century. The patron saint's feast day, i.e. her memorial day in the calendar of saints, is on November 22nd in all major Christian denominations.

The palace, with its courtyard of honour and two towers, is still very well preserved. Built in the 13th century, the palace now houses the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, which displays a large number of works by the famous artist, who was born in Albi: paintings from his youth, portraits, paintings of brothels, sketches of the world of the spectacle.

The Sainte-Cécile Cathedral is a jewel of Gothic architecture in the south of France. It is the largest brick church in the world. It is also the largest church in Europe whose walls are still completely painted.

The Palais de la Berbie is a former bishop's palace in Albi in southern France. The intricate donjon dates back to the High Middle Ages and has been rebuilt several times. Leaning against the donjon are buildings from the 15th to 17th centuries. Today the building houses the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec. The palace is UNESCO World Heritage.

The Roman Catholic Saint Cecilia Cathedral in Albi (French Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the cathedral of the French Archdiocese of Albi. The patroness of the cathedral is Saint Cecilia. Contrary to what www.tourisme-tarn.com says, it is not the largest brick church in the world. The largest is the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna and the St. Mary's Church in Gdańsk and the Church of Our Lady in Munich are also larger - about the same size. In 1282, construction of a cathedral began on behalf of Bishop Bernard de Castanet. It was mostly completed in 1383. However, construction work was not completed until 1492. Still under the influence of the Albigensian Wars, the cathedral was built like a fortress and looks like a fortified church. The walls are up to six meters thick. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style, but not in natural stone like most Gothic cathedrals, but as a brick building. It is probably the most prominent example of Gothique Toulousien, the southern French brick Gothic. Despite its size, the interior consists of just a single nave and a ring of chapels. Their partitions form an internal buttress. The two brick churches in Munich and Gdansk that have already been mentioned as a size comparison, although they have three naves and are much younger, also have this method of absorbing the side thrust of the vault. The bell tower was built between 1355 and 1366. The floor plan of the tower is square with rounded corners in the lower, older part. The newer, octagonal upper part dates from 1485 to 1492. There are white stone gargoyles all around the roof.

Albi is a French commune and the capital of the Tarn department in the Occitania region with 49,094 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020). Albi is the seat of a Catholic archbishop. In 2010, the ensemble of the Bishop's Quarter was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The inhabitants are called Albigensians (French: Albigeois).