ALBI CATHEDRAL
Albi Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia, in French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi, is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France, and the seat of the Archbishop of Albi. First built as a fortress begun in 1287 and under construction for 200 years, it is claimed to be the largest brick building in the world.
The first building dated from the 4th century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the 13th century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.
The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. It was constructed almost entirely in brick between 1287 and 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy in the area. Work on the nave was completed about 1330.
Notable architectural features include the bell-tower, added in 1492, which stands 78 metres (256 ft.) tall, and the doorway, added circa 1392. The nave is the widest Gothic example in France at 18 metres (60 feet). The interior lacks aisles which are replaced by rows of small chapels between brick internal buttresses.
The side chapels in the nave received overhead galleries in the 15th century, diminishing their impact. The central chœur is surrounded by a rood screen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgment covered nearly 200 m². The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France. The cathedral organ, work of Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.
In 2010 the cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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