An aerial view of Cordes-sur-Ciel (with
acknowledgement to the official Cordes
website)
'Cordes on the sky' - so named during the
twentieth century
because of the way the town rises above
low lying mists on winter mornings.
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CORDES was founded in 1222 by Raimon VII, Count
of Toulouse, during the restoration of Occitania
following the death of the crusade leader Simon
de Monfort in the battle against the Cathars.
Cordes was the first and most important
'bastide', built to welcome refugees after the
Cathar wars. The town was encircled by two
fortification lines closed by powerful fortified
gates. It sits like an eagle's nest on a hilltop
above the Cérou valley. In days gone by
many celebrities, such as Jean-Paul Sartre and
Albert Camus, used town as a favorite
hideaway.
For an explanation of 'bastide' see the Bruniquel page.
A modern approach to Place Fontournies at the
far west end of the ancient town
(Left)
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Cordes remained the first stronghold of the Albi
region for a long time. The town was an active
centre of Catharism and suffered cruelly from
those involved in the Inquisition. Following the
Cathar period, Cordes would soon experience
outstanding growth and indeed, the primitive,
fortified town spread out across the original
ramparts, and increased in size, thus requiring
new fortifications (five in total).
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Within three generations Cordes became a town of
more than 5,000 inhabitants. The name, Cordes, is
derived from the textile and leather industries
that thrived here during the 13th and 14th
centuries. Artisans working with linen and
leather prospered, and the town also became known
throughout France for its brilliantly colored
silks. People became rich by growing pastel (a
tinctorial plant that, when processed, imparted a
unique blue colour to fabric). In the 16th
century, however, plagues and religious wars
reduced the city to a minor role. A brief
renaissance occurred in the 19th century, when
automatic weaving machines were introduced.
Porte des Ormeaux leading into Grand Rue Raimond
IV on the right of the building and to Rue St
Michel to the left (Left)
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Today Cordes is renowned for its luxurious
houses and small palaces built by prosperous
merchants and noble families between 1280 and
1350. Gothic decorations can be found in the
architecture and some façades are
decorated with high relief sculptures.
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The ensuing centuries left their mark without
altering the overall character of the town or its
surroundings. The Baroque era left its mark after
the Religious Wars and some further
modifications to the town's architecture
occurred during the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries.
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Today Cordes is an arts-and-crafts city.
Many of the ancient houses on the narrow streets
are homes to artisans plying their skills including
blacksmiths, enamellers, graphic artists,
weavers, engravers, sculptors, and
painters.
Maison du Grand Veneur from Place St Michel
(Right)
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