Lefèvre - Scholar Jean Bon Saint-André - Politician during the Revolution era Bernardo Gui - Inquisitor Philip of Montfort, Lord of Castres - Nobleman Boffille de Juge - Statesman Vincent Baron - Theologian Pierre de Fermat - Mathematician Kees Meeuws - Rugby union player Christophe Farnaud - French ambassador to Greece Hans Bellmer - Artist Main sights Castres is intersected from north to south by the river Agout. The river is fringed by old houses the upper stories of which project over its waters. The church of Saint Benoît, once the cathedral of Castres, and the most important of the churches of Castres today, dates only from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city hall occupies the former bishop's palace, designed in the 17th century by Jules Hardouin-Mansart (the architect of Versailles), and with gardens designed by André Le Nôtre (the designer of the gardens in Versailles). The Romanesque tower beside it (Tour Saint Benoît) is the only survival of the old Benedictine abbey. The town possesses some old mansions from the 16th and 17th century, including the Hôtel de Nayrac, of the Renaissance. Castres possesses the renowned Goya Museum, created in 1840, which contains the largest collection of Spanish paintings in France. A Jaurès Museum was also opened in 1954 in the house where Jean Jaurès was born in 1859. The Jardin botanique Pierre Fabre "La Michonne" is a private botanical garden and conservatory that can be visited. Sports As one might expect of a town of western Occitania nicknamed Ovalie, the main sport in Castres is rugby union, followed religiously by many locals. The local professional club is Castres Olympique, who are five-time champions of France (in 1949, 1950, 1993, 2013 and 2018). Castres Olympique is the property of local tycoon Pierre Fabre, founder and president of Pierre Fabre Group. The finish of Stage 12 of the 2007 Tour de France was in Castres. Education Jean-François Champollion University Center for Teaching and Research Cinema Castres is the place where a short film festival occurs each year. Medias The city happened to see the birth of its first student radio (RADIOM) in 2007. Twin towns Castres is twinned with: Linares, Spain Wakefield, England Butare, Rwanda See also Castres-Mazamet Airport Communes of the Tarn department Tourism in Tarn References External links City Hall of Castres official website Greater Castres-Mazamet Council official website Photographe maternité mariage Castres Chamber of Commerce of