Cathedral of St. Cecilia at Albi (France)

[Marcus Marulus]

Cathédrale Ste-Cécile, Albi

Notable exterior features of Albi's Cathedral include the rich portal of Dominique de Florence (c.1392), the 78-meter-tall dungeon tower (finished in 1492)), and the baldaquin of the entryway (1515-1540).
Based on its sober, fortress-like exterior, one might reasonably expect the interior of Ste-Cecile to to be correspondingly austere, plain, and practical. Yet Ste-Cecile Cathedral is filled with religious art, including glorious frescoes, paintings and sculptures. The contrast between the sober simplicity of Ste-Cecile's exterior and the sumptuous decoration and detail inside is one of the most remarkable features.

The huge (16.4m x 15.6m) mural of The Last Judgment, painted between 1474 and 1484 by unknown Flemish artists, is one of the the most important works of art of the later Middle Ages. Paradise is represented by angels, apostles, and believers. Earth, represented by a frenetic gesturing of the Infidels, occupies but a small part in the whole. In the lower portion, hell is depicted as a series of views of the Mortal Sins. An astonishing collection of demons, imps, and supplicants, à la Hieronymus Bosch, are also present.

Also exceptional is the 16th-century rood screen with its unique polychromatic statues from the Old and New Testaments. The statuary of Sainte Cécile is considered to be the most important ensemble French sculpture from the Middle Ages. The naturalness of the colors and postures of the statuary has been universally admired for centuries.
The vast ensemble consists of 33 characters from the Old Testament; 15 statues representing the Church (12 apostles, the Virgin, Jean the Baptist, and St. Paul); and 72 statues of angels, Charlemagne, and the Emperor Constantine, dominating the two entry doors.

The frescoes on the cathedral's arched ceiling form the largest (97 meters long by 28 meters wide) work of Italian Renaissance painting to be found anywhere in France. Louis II d'Amboise commissioned the confection of the arched ceiling of Sainte Cécile to a team of Italian painters brought in from Modena and Bologna. The work was carried out between 1509 and 1512.

The arches of the Cathedral are conceived as a backdrop of immense blue sky on which several motifs are developped: arabesques, candelabras, and pastoral scenes. From Adam and Eve to the Annunciation, all the characters of the Old and New Testaments are represented. Two sections are dedicated to Sainte Cécile, patronne Saint of the Cathedral.
Finally, the classical French organ, built by Christophe Moucherel in 1736 is considered one of the three finest in France.

Opposite the north side of the cathedral is the Palais de la Berbie (Archbishop's Palace), another fortified structure dating from the late 13th century.

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A virtual visit to the cathedral is made possible through this link:

Visite virtuelle de la Cathédrale Sainte Cécile d\'Albi (Tarn)