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Origin and history

The chapel of the Saint-Crucifix of Cordes-sur-Ciel finds its origins in a local legend linking it to the Crusades, where it would have housed relics of the True Cross. The first written records of an oratory on this site, however, date from the late 15th century. In 1537 a restoration was undertaken, but the place, poorly maintained, fell into ruins before being deeply marked by the plague epidemic of 1629–32. The inhabitants, promising its reconstruction in exchange for the end of the plague, began work between 1634 (the vault key of a chapel) and 1654 (the completion of the nave).

During the Revolution, the chapel was sold as a national good before being returned to worship in 1806. Its interior preserves remarkable decorations, including a 1766 painting by Domergue depicting biblical scenes and local episodes (pest, wars of religion). In 1844, the Italian painter Cenoni decorated the vault of a blue inspired by the Cathedral of St. Cécile of Albi. The bell tower, rebuilt in 1889 on the bases of that of 1644, crowned the building, classified as a historical monument on 9 July 1984.

Architecturally, the chapel combines Gothic elements (broken lintel doors, coats of arms) and Baroque elements (painted decorations, lateral chapels dated 1537 and 1634). Its north-east/south-west orientation and its position outside the ramparts, below the road to Les Cabannes, underline its role both spiritual and memorial. Historian Charles Portal sees it as a "relative luxury" building that compensates for "poor architectural interest", while an annual procession (first Friday of May) perpetuates its anchor in local life.

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