The Saint-Salvi collegiate church is one of the largest Romanesque churches in the Albigensian region. A stone's throw from the cathedral, this monument completes the historical visit of Old Alby. Push your curiosity up the stairs, the cloister is nestled in the heart of the old town.
The collegiate church romano-gothic
The Saint-Salvi collegiate church, named after the 1st bishop of the city of Albi in the XNUMXth century, has stood proudly since the XNUMXth century, located at the corner of Place Sainte-Cécile. From the XNUMXth century, the foundations of a white stone church were laid on the presumed site of the tomb of Saint Salvi. Notice the mixture of stones and bricks coinciding with the change of materials in the XNUMXth century. It is possible to read directly on the building the various architectural phases and the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The bell tower is topped with a turret called “gachol“, in Occitan gachar means watch, watch. It made it possible to monitor the people who presented themselves at the ramparts of the city. Several districts of Albi had their own mess.
To see in the college
- six large canvases offered by the consuls of Albi in 1725 relate the life of Saint-Salvi and the history of the town.
- At the back of the church, under theMoucherel organ, set of sculptures, in polychrome wood, "Christ with links" are surprising in detail and color
Guided tour included in the following programs
The Cloister and its garden
This cloister Saint-Salvi, built in 1270, is a small haven of peace where silence reigns. It is like an invitation to quietude, to observation… The doors that can be seen under the galleries gave directly onto the cells of the canons, they have been transformed into living quarters. The remaining wing of the cloister and the Romanesque arches are associated with gothic capitals sculpted with characters, animals or vegetation.
In the center of this cloister, a garden takes up the organization of the herb garden in which aromatic and medicinal herbs were cultivated. Providing food and care, potted herbs and medicinal plants was the objective. He is part of five vegetable gardens created by the City of Albi where vegetables, condiments and herbs are made available to passers-by: a plant and edible heritage shared.
Take a good look at the bricks on the walls under the arches: some still bear the fingerprints of the brickmakers who had to turn the bricks over to dry them before firing them.
The carillon of Saint-Salvi
Saint-Salvi Square
At the apse of the collegiate church is the Place Saint-Salvi, which was a commercial place in the Middle Ages. The arcades that line the square also provided shelter in rainy weather. This square, slightly removed from the flow of the main street, is a little cocoon where you can rest, eat, listen to concerts by artists place festival in summer. At the end of the cutlery, a passage leads to the Saint Salvi cloister.
Rue Sainte-Cécile is one of the busiest shopping streets in Albi. No wonder, since all the alleys that surrounded the collegiate church belonged to traders and their name is reminiscent of the name of trades in the Middle Ages. From the construction of the church and throughout the XNUMXth century, the collegiate generates the emergence of a district: the town of Saint-Salvi. Thus, what is still today the oldest church in Albi, was surrounded by a ring of shopping streets. This ring is called “la roda de la plassa” (the wheel of the place).
Pratical information
| Opening hours from January 01 to December 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Open from 08 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 17 p.m. |
| Tuesday | Open from 08 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 17 p.m. |
| Wednesday | Open from 08 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 17 p.m. |
| Thursday | Open from 08 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 17 p.m. |
| Friday | Open from 08 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 17 p.m. |
| Saturday | Open from 10 p.m. to 12 p.m. and from 14:30 p.m. to 19 p.m. |
| Sunday | Open from 14 a.m. to 17 p.m. |
Continuous day in July and August
The collegiate church is included in the guided tours