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Albi

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For the "comune" in Italy, see Albi, Calabria.
For other uses, see Albi (disambiguation).
Albi
Coat of arms of Albi
Coat of arms
Location of Albi
Map
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentTarn
ArrondissementAlbi
IntercommunalityAlbigeois
Government
 • Mayor (2001–2008) Philippe Bonnecarrère
Area
1
44.26 km2 (17.09 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)
51,302
 • Density1,200/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
81004 /81000
Elevation130–308 m (427–1,010 ft)
(avg. 169 m or 554 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Episcopal City of Albi
UNESCO World Heritage Site
CriteriaCultural: (iv)(v)
Reference1337
Inscription2010 (34th Session)

Albi (Occitan: Albi) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department. It is located on the River Tarn, c. 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French: Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi. The Episcopal city, situated in the center of the actual city, around the cathedral, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2010.[1]

Administration

Albi is the seat of 6 cantons, covering 18 communes, with a total population of 67,729.

History

The first human settlement in Albi was in the Bronze Age.

After the Roman conquest of Gaul in 51 BC, the town became "Civitas Albigensium", the territory of the Albigeois, "Albiga". Archaeological digs have not revealed any traces of Roman buildings, which seems to indicate that Albi was a modest Roman settlement.

In 1040, Albi went through a period of expansion with the construction of the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge). New quarters were built, indicative of considerable urban growth. The city grew rich at this time, thanks to trade and commercial exchanges, and also to the tolls charged for using the Pont Vieux.

In 1208, the Pope and the French King joined forces to combat the Cathars, who had developed their own version of Christianity (a dangerous heresy to the dominant Catholic faith). Repression was severe, and many were burnt at the stake throughout the region. The area, until then virtually independent, was reduced to such a condition that it was subsequently annexed by the French Crown.

After the upheaval of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, the bishop Bernard de Castanet, in the late 13th century, completed work on the Palais de la Berbie, a Bishops' Palace with the look of a fortress, and ordered the building of the impressive cathedral of Sainte-Cécile starting in 1282. The town enjoyed a period of commercial prosperity largely due to the cultivation of "Isatis Tinctoria" commonly known as woad. The superb houses built during the Renaissance bear witness to the vast fortunes amassed by the pastel merchants. Albi has conserved its rich architectural heritage which encapsulates the various brilliant periods of its history. A great deal of improvement and restoration work has been done, to embellish the old quarters and to give them a new look, in which brick reigns supreme.

Main sights

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares. 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 a well known city for its elite Lycée Lapérouse, a high school with 500 students situated inside an old monastery boasting several literature classes. Furthermore, it is one of the few holding a full scale music section with special high tech rooms for this section.

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum [1]. 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.

Geography

Climate

Albi experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), similar to much of central, western and northern France.

Climate data for Albi
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.1
(48.4) 		11.4
(52.5) 		14.3
(57.7) 		16.5
(61.7) 		20.8
(69.4) 		24.2
(75.6) 		27.9
(82.2) 		27.8
(82.0) 		24.6
(76.3) 		19.3
(66.7) 		13.1
(55.6) 		10.2
(50.4) 		18.3
(64.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.3
(34.3) 		2.2
(36.0) 		3.8
(38.8) 		5.8
(42.4) 		9.8
(49.6) 		12.9
(55.2) 		15.2
(59.4) 		15.2
(59.4) 		12.1
(53.8) 		9.2
(48.6) 		4.5
(40.1) 		2.5
(36.5) 		7.9
(46.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 56
(2.2) 		62
(2.4) 		56
(2.2) 		79
(3.1) 		88
(3.5) 		71
(2.8) 		45
(1.8) 		59
(2.3) 		58
(2.3) 		63
(2.5) 		55
(2.2) 		68
(2.7) 		760
(29.9)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 105 122 183 178 228 225 259 256 202 139 95 86 2,078
Source: Météo France [2]

Sport

La Goulue arriving at the Moulin Rouge., by Toulouse-Lautrec (1892).

Twin towns — sister cities

Albi is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ^ http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/643/
  2. ^ "Albi" (in French). Météo France. Retrieved 2010-01-17.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albi.

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