Albi--Cathedral

"Holy Christ" was all I could say

Eglise Sainte Cecile, Albi's cathedral, is arguably the main attraction in the city.  I have not seen huge numbers of cathedrals, but I have seen some, so I was sort of prepared to be impressed.

Ever present rain gutter gargoyles

When I rounded the corner however, a "Holy Christ," involuntarily escaped me.  Out loud, even.  I wasn't prepared for its size, its outward simplicity, which is really a trick.  The "Church of Saint Cecelia is intricate indeed.

One block of marble?

One of my favorite ceilings

We are watching you!

Compared to the shabbiness of the "big" churches in Carcassonne, Sainte Cecile seems to be doing relatively well financially.  I detected no odor of mold and mildew, most of the ceiling still wears its blue coat of paint, the frescoes are clean and bright, as was the woodwork on display, there were new pews.  Note that they still don't have padded seats like churches in the US, but the wood was bright and shiny and the joints were still tight.  I am glad to see that they are able to preserve this monument. Watching these edifices crumble is not pleasant, no matter what my feelings are about the Church that owns them.  So I was happy to see Albi's cathedral thriving.

Holding up the organ is hard work

Decorate every last square centimeter

An angry angel?

I must continually remind myself to imagine the power of the 13th century (and earlier) Catholic church.  People were superstitious, fearful, uneducated and the Church was the ruler of their daily lives in a way I cannot experience.  It governed what to wear, what to eat and when, when to work, when to play.  It ruled how they thought, how they greeted outsiders,  and God help you if you happened to be female.  As much as I chafe at those rules, I have to remember to view these buildings through those lenses.

Elaborate altar

Passing through the portals with all those likenesses gazing down on me, I could see the " Let us show you what REAL power looks like,"attitude that led to the building of this edifice.  The Cathars had been exorcised and the church wanted to impress the citizenry as to who were the true bosses and thus built this cathedral.

Imagine the detail!

I confess to liking the blue color

Inside I found myself completely overwhelmed, and not necessarily in a good way.  I am a person who loves the simplicity of Shaker lines and the minimalist style of decor.  This church combines either the best or the worst (depends on your point of view) of the visual excesses of the Catholic church, the Moorish love of decoration and the French need to make sure that every square centimeter of a surface has been painted, carved, or gilded. 

Ironwork at one of the side "chapels"

I will let the photos speak for me.  The next time I visit the cathedral, I will leave my camera outside and make my next trip a guided one.  I am sure that all of those painted and carved faces have names, tell a story or a parable or honor some hero of the Catholic fight for the domination of the citizenry's hearts and minds.  I will, on my next visit, make sure to see the "treasure," as I was too busy looking at all the decoration and trying to get the perfect photo to do one more thing.  

Sainte Cecile's little "chapel"

She gets a padded kneeler (sorry for the blir)

 

 

 

 

 

Impressive woodwork

 And truly, I need time to process the evidence of what I think is excess, and probably made possible by squeezing every possible sou from people who could better have used it in their own households.  So, yes, I have a definite love hate relationship with the Catholic Church of past times.  

Graceful arches

View through the carvings

Light and darkness