Albi and its episcopal city

Albi, Cordes, Bastides, these names evoke the treasures gleaming in the Languedoc sun, in the firmament of History and Heritage. Grand Sud Editions have selected their finest photos to render homage to the prestigious sites valued by those who know them and enchanting those who discover them.

Albi is at the heart of a rich saga covering twenty years of history. The turbulent Cathar period and the Albigensian Crusade have left a heritage of the most prestigious brick monuments in France : the Cathedral and La Berbie Palace. In the golden age of the woad trade. Albi was the capital of this land of plenty, as we can see from the fine Renaissance residences that still stand today.

Close-by, Albi's younger sister, Cordes-sur-ciel proudly claims title to pearl of the bastides (walled town), surrounded by a host of citadels and walled towns : Penne, Puycelsi, Castelnau de Mont-Miral... as well as Monesties with its moving « Mise au Tombeau » (Entombment) and even Le Cayla, a romantic manor that belonged to the writers Maurice and Eugénie de Guerin.

A must for tourists, Albi the pink pearl of Languedoc was « a city destined to the worship of the Arts and of serene philosophy » according to Jaurès. It indeed remains the artistic capital of the area and its Episcopal City was classified as World Heritage by UNESCO on the 31st July 2010.