Albi's dramatic red-brick buildings.Credit:Getty Images
Paul Wade walks the mediaeval streets of Albi,the formidable'ville rouge'where Toulouse-Lautrec honed his genius.
'Cathedral or fortress?"No matter how many times I visit Albi,that is my reaction to the 79-metre tower and massive walls of Cathedrale Sainte-Cecile. The largest brick structure in the world when it was built in the 13th century,its militaristic architecture demonstrated to the defeated supporters of the heretical Cathar religious movement that the Catholic Church was back in charge.
Next door,the equally formidable Palais de la Berbie reinforced that statement. Today,the bishop's palace houses the revamped Musee Toulouse-Lautrec (museetoulouselautrec.net),the world's largest collection of works by the locally born artist - and proves that his social observation extended far beyond the Parisian demi-monde. Add works by Matisse,Dufy,Gauguin and more,and the palace's 17th-century gardens and terraces to admire,and this is a museum where we could spend all day.
The cathedral and palace are both built from handmade brick,as is virtually everything else in Albi,giving rise to the nickname of la ville rouge. Looking closely,we spot 500-year-old thumbprints here and there in the baked clay.
The winding streets in the mediaeval town offer more reminders of the past.
Half-timbered houses are topped with a soulheilou,a covered roof terrace-cum-storehouse that is perfect for drying ham as well as laundry. Street signs are in two languages:modern French and ancient Occitan.
Traditions also continue with food and wine. In Les Delices Lamarque (11 rue Sainte-Cecile),I am offered a hard biscuit -"We call them janots;we dip them in gaillac,our local wine."Even the grape varieties link to the past,with Occitan names - the white grape variety is the len de l'el and red is fer servadou.
And,half an hour from town is the Chateau du Bosc,where Toulouse-Lautrec spent a happy childhood in what is now the home of his great-niece,Madame Nicole Tapie de Celeyran. She is passionate about her ancestor and points out the animals in the Aubusson tapestries that inspired his early drawings and his caricatures of relatives,drawn on the wall of what is now the gift shop. She describes the leg injuries that inhibited his growth and explains:"Everyone in our family is short,and the redingotes[long overcoats] of the day made him look even shorter."
What we like best about Albi is the juxtaposition of old and new. The streets buzz with cafes and small,well-priced restaurants,and independent shops. In the remains of the 13th-century Saint Salvi cloister,where monks once meditated,students chat. And,in front of the cathedral,skateboarders flaunt their skills.