Birthplace of Toulouse-Lautrec

While most visitors to Albi come simply to explore its rich heritage, others make all this way for a mini pilgrimage to the birthplace of one of France’s most famous 19th-century artists: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. You might not know this, but this world-renowned painter and illustrator was born here in Albi, on November 24, 1864. In fact, he came into the world in the very house you’re looking at! It might not look like much from the outside, but it was once a grand mansion known as the Hôtel du Bosc. Built in the 12th century on top of the city’s old ramparts, it still features two ancient fortified towers. Toulouse-Lautrec didn’t live here for long, though. He spent most of his childhood between the Bosc Castle in Aveyron and the Celeyran Castle in Aude. Still, the locals beam with pride whenever his name is mentioned – and with good reason! This local boy with his atypical physique, caused by a degenerative bone disease, rose to fame thanks to his unparalleled talent in drawing and painting. He did it all: portraits, posters, satirical illustrations, watercolors – a jack-of-all-trades one might say, always striving to portray the world and his subjects as they are, without embellishments or exaggeration. In the face of prejudice and narrow-mindedness, he championed spontaneity, freedom of expression and unconventionality. Sadly, Toulouse-Lautrec was taken by syphilis at the young age of 36. Yet he left behind an immense body of work and many personal mementos, among them this house, listed as a historical monument since 1974.