Cloister and gardens of the Saint-Salvi collegiate church

Welcome to a true oasis of tranquility! Here, history and nature come together. And let me tell you, there are plenty of secrets to uncover. Time to put your detective skills to the test and see what hidden details you can find! Don’t be shy, join the fun! Let’s start with the southern gallery, one of only two remaining vestiges of the Saint-Salvi collegiate church cloister, built back in 1270 and severely destroyed during the French Revolution. Check out its stunning architecture with the rounded Romanesque arches and the pointy Gothic capitals. See if you can spot any biblical figures, animals, and plants carved into the stone. As you stroll along the walls beneath the arches, you might even make out fingerprints left by the bricklayers in the clay! It’s as if they’ve just finished shaping the clay bricks and left them to dry. Of course, no visit here is complete without first exploring the central courtyard with its lush greenery, which was used by the monks in the past as a medicinal garden. It was made up of 4 areas, for medicinal plants, vegetables and fruits. Today, the design of the garden is still visible through the 3 planting zones. Formerly allocated to 32 modest Albigensian families, the Cloitre garden has now become a public garden whose flowering theme is regularly renewed by the City of Albi’s Plant Heritage teams. Make the best of this free, peaceful stopover away from the city’s hustle and bustle, to enjoy some peace and quiet or take some photos, before you continue on our tour.