Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile

Sainte-Cécile cathedral is the biggest red brick church in the world and is an example of Southern Gothic architecture.

The clay for making bricks was extracted directly from the Tarn. The construction of this huge building occupied economic life in Albi from 1282 to 1390. Built shortly after the suppression of heresy and of Catharism, the cathedral symbolizes the power of the Roman church and the Papacy. Sainte-Cécile's cathedral was part of the defensive system of Albi with the palace of Berbera.

All of the episcopal city has recently been listed as World Heritage by UNESCO in, 2010. In contrast with the relative austerity that emerges from outside the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia, the interiors are rich in vibrant color and ornamentation. The choir is surrounded by a white wall 230 fully carved with statues. Italian painters have painted frescoes during the sixteenth century as evidenced by the celestial vault remarkably well preserved.