Albi, Unesco Site, Midi-Pyrenees, France
Albi, a world heritage UNESCO site since 2010, is on the river Tarn, 85 kilometres from Toulouse, in the new region of Languedoc Roussillon Midi Pyrenees. Its first inhabitants were there during the Bronze age, and later after the Roman conquest, was a minor settlement called Albiga. During the 11th century AD, the town became rich in part because of the toll paid for the use of the Vieux bridge (still existing) over the river Tarn.
Albi became the headquarters of the nicknamed Trencavel (from the occitan word for “nut cracker”) Family, (the lords of Ambialet), whose main family name was Raymond. The first Trencavel “Ato” was Viscount in Albi in the early 10th century, later through family marriages, the family, some of whom were bishops, became owners of the lands of Toulouse, Carcassonne, Albi, Nimes, Razes, and Beziers. Because of their considerable power in the area, they were the victims of various revolts in their towns, as well as at time allies to the court in Barcelona.
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