Albi: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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EUR 45 - 60 La Regence-George V
 La Regence-George V is located opposite the train station in the charming city of Albi. It offers en suite rooms and suites with satellite TV and low-… MoreEUR 39 - 95 Kyriad Albi
 This Kyriad hotel is located near the centre of Albi. It offers air-conditioned rooms, free on-site parking and free Wi-Fi.
Rooms at Kyriad Albi are … MoreEUR 57 - 89 Inter-Hôtel Le Cantepau
 Easily accessible by the N88 motorway, this Inter-Hotel is located in Albi, next to the River Tarn. It offers en-suite accommodation with satellite TV… MoreEUR 55 - 90 Logis Hôtel Saint Clair
 The Logis Saint Clair welcomes you to the historic heart of the old town of Albi, close to the Ste Cécile cathedral and the Toulouse Lautrec museum. … MoreEUR 55 - 125 Logis Hotel Les Pasteliers
 This Logis hotel is located in Albi town centre, on the banks of the River Tarn. It provides air-conditioned accommodation with free Wi-Fi internet ac… MoreEUR 46 - 82 Villa Bellevue
 This charming villa offers a garden with an outdoor hydro-jet swimming pool. It is located in a quiet district, just a 5-minute walk from the historic… MoreEUR 71 - 134 Mercure Albi Bastides
 This Mercure hotel is on the banks of the Tarn River and offers 56 rooms in the city centre, near the Pont Neuf (bridge) and Sainte Cécile Cathedral
… MoreEUR 50 - 73 Hotel Laperouse
 Situated in the heart of the city, you can enjoy this hotel located near the old town, the St Cecile Cathedral and the Museum of Toulouse Lautrec.
En… MoreEUR 32 - 120 Hotel Du Parc
 Hotel du Parc provides accommodation in the heart of Albi, the capital of the Tarn department.
Each Hotel du Parc room has a TV and en suite bathroom… MoreEUR 42 - 60 Fasthotel Albi
 Fasthotel Albi is located near the motorway (N88) and the commercial area of La Baute. It offers rooms with a private bathroom, TV and free Wi-Fi and … MoreEUR 105 - 280 Chambres d´Hotes la Tour Sainte-Cécile
 Located in the centre of Albi, this bed and breakfast offers free entry to the Toulouse Lautrec Museum. Some rooms have panoramic views of Albi Cathed… MoreEUR 62 - 122 Grand Hotel d´Orléans
 Ideally located near the historical centre of Albi, the Grand Hotel D´orleans welcomes both business and leisure travelers for a restful stay in… MoreEUR 100 - 225 Hostellerie Du Grand Saint Antoine
 Just a short stroll from the banks of the Tarn River, in a quiet street in the historic centre of Albi, let yourself be pampered at the Grand Saint An… MoreEUR 56 - 200 Hotel Chiffre
 Hotel Chiffre is located in the historic city of Albi. This former coaching inn offers air-conditioned rooms with satellite TV. Free Wi-Fi internet ac… MoreEUR 58 - 84 Hostellerie Du Vigan
 Hostellerie du Vigan provides en suite accommodation in the centre of Albi. Each room is air-conditioned and has a flat-screen TV with Canal+. Free Wi… MoreEUR 39 - 83 Campanile Albi Centre
 Campanile Albi Centre is situated 10 minutes from the cathedral and the Toulouse Lautrec Museum. Its rooms are perfect for a stopover or short stay in… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albi: Guide
For the city in Calabria, Italy, see Albi, Italy.
Albi is a town and département, and is located on the French: Albigeois/ Albigeoises(s)).
Administration
Albi is the chief town of 6 Canton in France|cantons, covering 18 Commune in France|communes, with a total population of 67,728.
History
The first human settlement in Albi was in the Bronze Age.
After the Ancient Rome|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 King joined forces to combat the Cathars who created their own variation of Christianity (an outrage to the dominant Catholics power). Repression was severe, and many were burnt at the stake throughout the region. This region, until then virtually independent, was reduced to a state that enabled it to be annexed to the French Crown.
After the upheaval of the Albigensians 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.
From 1450 to 1560, Albi enjoyed a period of commercial prosperity largely due to the cultivation of "Isatis Tinctoria" commonly known as woad.
The superb town houses of 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 grew up 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 brick .
Among the monuments of the town is the Gothic style. It is characterized 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 roodscreen 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 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 it's elite Lycée Lapérouse, a high school with 500 students situated inside an old monastery. The Lycée is one of the best in the region Midi Pyrénées and boasts several litterature 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 . 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.
Sport
SC Albi - The city's rugby union| union team and a product of the rugby league ban by the fascists in 1940.
Famous people
Albi was the birthplace of:
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), painter
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Albi". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Gérard Onesta (born 1960), politician and Member of the European Parliament
Pierre Benoît (novelist)|Pierre Benoît (1886-1962), novelist
Jean François La Pérouse(1741-1788), explorerTwin towns
Albi is twinned with:
- Girona, Spain
- Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto, California, United StatesExternal links
(English)
(English)
- Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia 1908