Albi and the Cathedral of St. Cecile

Wednesday we took off for Albi—high on my list of the most wonderful sights in France. The town itself is very old but its main claim to fame is that during the 13^th century it gave refuge to the Cathars, a radical and dangerous sect which the Catholic Church felt compelled to eliminate. The Pope and the French King had joined forces to combat them and many Cathars were burned at the stake. They did not survive in the end.

But what did survive is probably the most spectacular Cathedral in all of France if not the world. It was built in the style of a fortress, all brick on the outside and gloriously decorated on the inside. The paintings and decorations have survived WITHOUT RESTORATION to this day. It survived because it was meticulously cared for throughout the centuries by the bishops of the Church and thus was not permitted to succumb to the elements as did many of the other great cathedrals.

Albi is also the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec and many of his paintings and memorabilia from his life are housed there.