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Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi

Highlight • Religious Site

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi

Recommended by 66 hikers out of 68

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Location: Occitania, France

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Best Hikes to Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi

4.8

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1. View of the Tarn – Albi loop from Lotissement les Terrasses de la Croizille

7.87km

02:05

70m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.9

(53)

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2. Albi Railway Viaduct – Palais de la Berbie loop from Albi-Ville

9.20km

02:24

60m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.5

(16)

166

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3. View of the Tarn – Albi loop from Lotissement les Terrasses de la Croizille

8.87km

02:23

110m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Matto

May 20, 2024

The Sainte-Cécile Cathedral is a jewel of Gothic architecture in the south of France. It is the largest brick church in the world.
It is also the largest church in Europe whose walls are still completely painted.

Translated by Google •

Sebastian

April 8, 2023

The Roman Catholic Saint Cecilia Cathedral in Albi (French Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the cathedral of the French Archdiocese of Albi. The patroness of the cathedral is Saint Cecilia.

Contrary to what tourisme-tarn.com says, it is not the largest brick church in the world. The largest is the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna and the St. Mary's Church in Gdańsk and the Church of Our Lady in Munich are also larger - about the same size.

In 1282, construction of a cathedral began on behalf of Bishop Bernard de Castanet. It was mostly completed in 1383. However, construction work was not completed until 1492.

Still under the influence of the Albigensian Wars, the cathedral was built like a fortress and looks like a fortified church. The walls are up to six meters thick.

The cathedral was built in the Gothic style, but not in natural stone like most Gothic cathedrals, but as a brick building. It is probably the most prominent example of Gothique Toulousien, the southern French brick Gothic.

Despite its size, the interior consists of just a single nave and a ring of chapels. Their partitions form an internal buttress. The two brick churches in Munich and Gdansk that have already been mentioned as a size comparison, although they have three naves and are much younger, also have this method of absorbing the side thrust of the vault.

The bell tower was built between 1355 and 1366. The floor plan of the tower is square with rounded corners in the lower, older part. The newer, octagonal upper part dates from 1485 to 1492. There are white stone gargoyles all around the roof.

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Raphaël "1969"

March 6, 2023

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, listed with the episcopal city of Albi since July 31, 2010 on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is today one of the most visited cathedrals in France.
The building surprises with the contrast between its austere exterior look of a military fortress and the pictorial and sculptural richness of its interior. Monument without equal, it affirms its power through a typical style of the Languedoc south, the southern Gothic. Its unique style is reinforced by its interior decoration.

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 170 m

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Location: Occitania, France

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Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, Albi

1. View of the Tarn – Albi loop from Lotissement les Terrasses de la Croizille

2. Albi Railway Viaduct – Palais de la Berbie loop from Albi-Ville

3. View of the Tarn – Albi loop from Lotissement les Terrasses de la Croizille

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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