Cité épiscopale d'Albi

Albi’s episcopal city developed beside the Tarn in what is now Occitanie. Local fired brick gives its streets and monuments a strong visual coherence. Sainte-Cécile Cathedral and the fortified episcopal palace embody the authority of the bishops after the suppression of Catharism in the thirteenth century. The cathedral adapts Gothic architecture to southern France; painted decoration, choir furnishings and late Gothic sculpture were added during later campaigns. The heritage property is an urban ensemble, with the relationship between its monuments and surrounding settlement central to its significance. UNESCO inscribed the Episcopal City of Albi in 2010. The designation applies to the defined historic ensemble, rather than serving as a general label for every building in the modern municipality.