Albi

Albi () is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, in the Occitanie region. It is on the side of the Tarn river, about  to the northeast of Toulouse.

It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi. The cathedral and the part of the city around it (the Episcopal City) was made a World Heritage Sites in 2010.

History

The first human settlement in Albi was in the Bronze Age (3000-600 BC). After the Roman conquest of Gaul in 51 BC, the town became Civitas Albigensium, the city of the Albigeois.

The Cathars had their main centre at Albi and so they were known also as Albigens after the city. The Cathar movement was a branch of Christianity which was persecuted in the Middle Ages. Because of this, the city was almost completely destroyed in a crusade between 1209 and 1229. Since 1678, the city is the seat of an archbishop. Since 1790, it is the capital city of the Tarn department.

Geography
Albi is in southern France, in the centre of the Tarn department. The Tarn flows through the city and splits it in two; the historical city is on the left side of the river. Several small rivers, tributaries of the Tarn, flows also through the city.

It has an area of  and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

The commune is at  northeast of Toulouse and the closest cities are Castres, Toulouse, Mazamet, Graulhet, Lavaur, Gaillac, Montauban, Rodez et Carmaux. It is surrounded by the communes Lescure-d'Albigeois to the north; Saint-Juéry to the northeast; Cunac and Cambon to the east; Fréjairolles to the southeast; Puygouzon to the south; Le Sequestre, Carlus and Saliès to the southwest; Terssac, Marssac-sur-Tarn, Florentin, Rouffiac, Cagnac-les-Mines, Castelnau-de-Lévis.

Climate 
The climate of Albi is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

The average temperature for the year in Albi is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

The highest recorded temperature in Albi is , which was recorded in August. The lowest recorded temperature in Albi is , which was recorded in January.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Albi is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

Population
The inhabitants of Albi are known, in French, as Albigeois (women: Albigeoises).

The city of Albi has a population, in 2014, of 49,531; its population density is of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Albi

Administration
Albi is the prefecture of the Tarn department since 1797. It is also the capital of four Cantons:
 Albi-1, formed with a part of Albi (15,740 inhabitants) (2014)
 Albi-2, formed with a part of Albi and 5 other communes (18,332 inhabitants) (2014)
 Albi-3, formed with a part of Albi and 8 other communes (18,145 habitants) (2014)
 Albi-4, formed with a part of Albi and 2 other communes (19,064 inhabitants) (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality Albigeois ().

Cathedral 

There is the St. Cecile´s cathedral worth seeing. It is built like a fortress, in a gothic style. The cathedral is built in a very special style. Inside, there are frescoes from the Renaissance, worth a visit.

The cathedral has walls which are up to  thick. This makes it the biggest brick building in the world.

Museum
There is a museum dedicated to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the city. De Touluose-Lautrec was born in the city. There are also paintings of other people in the museum.

People from Albi
 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec,1864-1901, painter
 Jean-François de La Pérouse, 1741-1788, French geographer; sailed around the world.

Education 
 École nationale supérieure des mines d'Albi-Carmaux
 Institut national universitaire Jean-François Champollion

Sister cities
Albi is twinned with:
  Girona, Spain
  Palo Alto, United States
  Randwick City Council, Australia
  Abomey, Benin

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Albi
 Communes of the Tarn department

References

Other websites

 Ville d'Albi - Official website  
 Albi Tourist Office 
 France for visitors - Albi

Cities in France
Communes in Tarn
Departmental capitals in France
World Heritage Sites in France