Albi (Part 6 of imec goes to France)

[imec]

Following a full day of hanging by the pool, we chose to visit Albi for our last full day in the Tarn. Albi is a town built largely in the 11th and 12th centuries and is rich with impressive fortifications, wonderful old bridges and, as kerouac mentioned, a massive and architecturally unusual cathedral (which I found difficult to photograph due to it's size and the close quarters within which it is situated). Here's a taste of our walk around the area of the cathedral and along the river for a bit.

[auntieannie]

Did the cathedral start as a muslim/arab building?

[bixaorellana]

That was my first thought, too, Annie. Either that, or a Moorish sensibility was brought back by a high-born Crusader. The Gothic parts are so obviously grafted on -- "We simply must make this place look more Christian!"

This is a gorgeous, satisfying group of pictures. What I most like are all the arches, particularly the ones on that very elegant bridge.

There are functioning locks in that river, correct?

This is just wonderful, Imec. Thank you!

[Deleted]

You've captured it so well, imec. It looks very similar to some parts of the UK.

[Deleted]

Well the cathedral of Albi (Sainte Cécile) was built from 1282 to 1480, so style tend to evolve over 200 years. It is supposedly one of the biggest brick buildings in the world.

And the pictures are great, imec. I'll see if I can dig up some of my own photos of the cathedral soon -- they are just as closed in of course, since I did not demolish any buildings to get a better perspective.

[Deleted]

I need to read up some more on French history it seems. Don't know anything of these villages and feel I should. Makes me feel quite ignorant.
Very beautiful photos imec. Thanks.

[Deleted]

Albi is hardly a village! You need to have a cardinal to have a cathedral.

[Jazz]

Great photos, Imec. Albi does seem to have a very different architectural feel to it. The cathedral seems almost like a fortress and the interior is very intriguing. The use of brick in the entire town is interesting...I noticed how many of the other buildings had rounded brick corners. Of course, this all drove me to searching Albi for its history. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albi

The arches are striking. I love the photo of the house with the blue shutters and the white wrought iron balcony. Did you visit the Toulouse-Lautrec museum? I like his work.

[imec]

Aug 10, 2009 19:38:56 GMT Jazz said:

Did you visit the Toulouse-Lautrec museum?

No, didn't really have enough time - and I had at least one negative recommendation.

[bixaorellana]

Aug 10, 2009 18:03:12 GMT kerouac2 said:

Albi is hardly a village! You need to have a cardinal to have a cathedral.

The cathedral is the seat of the bishop. If you needed a cardinal to have a cathedral, there would be far fewer cathedrals in the world.

[bixaorellana]

Aug 10, 2009 20:50:11 GMT imec said:

Aug 10, 2009 19:38:56 GMT Jazz said:

Did you visit the Toulouse-Lautrec museum?

No, didn't really have enough time - and I had at least one negative recommendation.

Guess time was ............. short, huh?

[spindrift]

Imec - Photograph #11 delights me...as does the very last one. They're all good of course it's just that those two are very special for me.

I know nothing of Albi but I see that I should visit one day. That cathedral is fantastic and the interior is out of this world.

Did any of the Popes live there? I remember 'The Albigensian heresy? or crusades? perhaps someone can enlighten me.

[imec]

Aug 10, 2009 21:14:41 GMT spindrift said:

Imec - Photograph #11 delights me...as does the very last one. They're all good of course it's just that those two are very special for me.

I know nothing of Albi but I see that I should visit one day. That cathedral is fantastic and the interior is out of this world.

Did any of the Popes live there? I remember 'The Albigensian heresy? or crusades? perhaps someone can enlighten me.

Thanks spindrift. The intricately carved stone in the cathedral blew me away - never seen anything like it before. As far as popery goes, I'm probably the last guy anyone should consult on such issues. Now if you want opinions on the subject...

[bjd]

The reason Albi cathedral was built that way was that it was built just after the Albigensian crusades. The Cathars and their supporters (the Counts of Toulouse, Carcassonne, etc) had just been defeated and the lands had been grabbed by the King of France. They wanted to show their power to those they had conquered -- hence the massive, overbearing style of the church.

And the brick buildings in the area are because the soil is clay, so good for bricks and there is little stone that can be used for building.

I am the "negative recommendation". The Toulouse-Lautrec museum presents a lot of similar-looking posters, but very few paintings and none of the well-known ones.

[Deleted]

Aug 11, 2009 15:21:57 GMT bjd said:

I am the "negative recommendation".

I didn't need a diploma in rocket science to figure that out.

[bixaorellana]

A question about the last photo of the cathedral: are the panels trompe 'oeil, or are they actually as three-dimensional as they look?

And I have to babble again about that last bridge -- so beautiful, a veritable song in brick.

[bjd]

All the cathedral walls are flat paintings, nothing is three-dimensional.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, Bjd. I'm really intrigued by this building and glad to have those details.

[Deleted]

It is necessary to make a whole lot of trips to France (and the same goes for most of the other European countries) in terms of seeing cathedrals, churches and other similar constructions. So many of them are stunning, but if you see too many on the same trip, they all start to blur together (like the temples of Asia).

Nevertheless, Albi would always stand out on a whirlwind tour of France, whereas even Notre Dame in Paris might not -- if you have also been to Chartres, Reims, Rouen, Amiens, Metz and some other cities.

[hwinpp]

I loved Albi too.

[htmb]

Albi looks like an interesting place to explore, and the cathedral certainly stands out as worth a visit.