Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec

Reference : FR116

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et d'Histoire
1- La Basilique Sainte-Cécile XIIIème Siècle, dominant le Palais de la Berbie (Musée Toulouse Lautrec), le Pont-Vieux XI7me siècle, le Tarn. 2- Aristide Buant par Toulouse-Lautrec, célèbre artiste albigeois né en 1864 en l'hôtel du Bosc"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

The old city of Albi

Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. 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: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

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. This imposing 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 in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern and sometimes decadent life of those times. Toulouse-Lautrec is known along with Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin as one of the greatest painters of the Post-Impressionist period.

1. Sainte-Cécile Basilica, 13th century, overlooking Palais de la Berbie (Toulouse Lautrec museum), The 11th century Pont-Vieux, the Tarn.
2. Aristide Buant by Toulouse-Lautrec, the famous Albigensian artist born at the Bosc mansion in 1864.
   

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi

Reference : FR115

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et d'Histoire"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

The old city of Albi

Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. 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: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

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. This imposing 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 in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi

Reference : FR114

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et Centre de Tourisme"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

The old city of Albi

Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. 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: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

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. This imposing 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 in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Berbie Palace

Reference : FR113

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Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art, centre de tourisme
Ancien Palais archiépiscopal de la Berbie
(Musée Toulouse Lautrec)
Les jardins suspendus dominant le Tarn"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

The Berbie Palace

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.

Its name comes from the Occitan word Bisbia, meaning Bishops' Palace.
An imposing Bishop's Palace

This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century . It was both the temporal and spiritual manifestation of the Bishops of Albi.
It is particularly interesting from the architectural point of view :

• an enormous keep, 50m high, flanked at the four corners by towers, three of which are solid throughout,
• walls 7 metres thick at the base,
• ramparts.

Over the centuries, the Bishops transformed this stronghold into an elegant residence with a slate roof. They created vast reception rooms, terraces and French-style gardens masking the bulky appearance of the building, and added a Renaissance wing.

A remarkable garden

During the reign of Louis XIV, in 1678, the gardens were commissioned by the first Archbishop of Albi, Hyacinthe Serroni, on the lines of the French-style garden .

These gardens occupy the former site of the Bishops' Garrison and add to the beauty of the whole place. Overlooked by the former sentry-walk, they now afford a panoramic view of the banks of the Tarn .

The Palais de la Berbie and its gardens are one of the most-visited sights of the city.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica

Reference : FR112

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Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.)
dominant le Palais de la Berbie de nuit"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

Albi cathedral

Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica

Reference : FR111

NOT AVAILABLE FOR TRADE AT THE MOMENT
Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.)
dominant le Palais de la Berbie"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

Albi cathedral

Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica

Reference : FR110

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm

"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.) dominant le Tarn"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :

Albi cathedral

Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.

UNESCO w.h.s. :
Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.