Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile

This is a remarkable cathedral, predominantly for its orange brick mass and brightly and intricately painted interior. While many cathedrals seem the same after you’ve visited a few, this one will stand out in your mind. It is a huge monstrosity of a church from the outside, important in the 13th century to officially defeat the Cathars. It’s formidable and looks like a fortress/cathedral combo, towering in the skyline of Albi. It took over 100 years to build and it’s been a Unesco World Heritage site since 2010. Inside is richly frescoed with a Last Judgement fresco behind the alter. Take the audio tour included with the cost of the choir, it’s well worth it to see the entire cathedral which the audio tour walks you through and take the time to do so (1.5 hours or so). Don’t bother with the cost of the treasury, it’s unremarkable considering everything else.

Hours; daily:

  • May-Oct: 09:00-16:30
  • Nov-Apr: same hours as above, but closed 13:15-14:00

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