Albi

Albi is the capital of the French department of Tarn in the Midi-Pyrénées region with 49 179 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011).

Albi is the seat of a Catholic archbishop. See also: List of Archbishops of Albi. In 2010, the ensemble of the Bishop district was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Geography

Albi is located approximately 80 kilometers north-east of Toulouse in the middle of southern France. Due to Albi, Tarn river flows.

Albi has almost 50,000 inhabitants ( 2006). The 16 other communities enclosing agglomeration ( Communauté d' agglomération de l' Albi with its headquarters in Saint- Juéry ) has about 80,000 inhabitants. The inhabitants are Albigensians (French: Albi ) called.

History

The Romans have created a city called Civitas Albiensium. In 843 Charles the Bald took over the control of the city.

After Albi is the religious community of the Cathars, which was exposed in the Middle Ages severe persecution by the Church, also called Albigensians. In the Albigensian wars 1209-1229 Albi was almost completely destroyed.

In 1678 the city was the seat of an archbishop, since 1790 it is prefecture of the department of Tarn. From 1943 to 1944 Albi was the seat of a garrison of the Wehrmacht.

Coat of arms

Description: In red a golden guardant running lion on a silver brick battlements with two open doors and drawn round silver bars. The Golden Patriarch plug cross with trefoil arm ends behind the wall is accompanied by a silver outward facing crescent with the face and the right of a golden spotted midday sun left.

Attractions

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Albi

  • Bishop Quarter ( Cité Episcopale d' Albi): The Bishop Quarter is the heart of the historic Old Town Albis; there are the Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, the Church of Saint- Salvi and the Bishop's Palace (Palais de la Berbie ). 2010, this urban ensemble was included in the list of UNESCO world heritage.
  • Museum Henri Toulouse- Lautrec: The Bishop's Palace is a museum, which is dedicated to the Albigensian painter Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec. In addition to many of his works also numerous paintings by other artists such as Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin are seen.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

  • François Sudre (1787-1862), French music teacher and inventor of the plan language Solresol
  • Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières (1815-1895), French engineer and general
  • Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec (1864-1901), French painter
  • Pierre Benoit (1886-1962), French novelist
  • Gérard Onesta ( born 1960 ), French politician, and since 1999 Vice- President of the European Parliament
  • Anne Zenoni (born 1971 ), French football national team
  • Cédric Coutouly ( born 1980 ), French cyclist

People with relationship to the city

  • Jean -François de Lapérouse (1741-1788), French sailors, explorers, and geographer, born at the Château de Gô at Albi. In Albi a high school named after him
  • Georges Pompidou (1911-1974), French politician and President; spent his school years in Albi

Gallery

Bell tower of the Cathedral of Sainte -Cécile

Cathedral of Sainte -Cécile, south side

Old bridge of Albi

Twinning

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