Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Cordes-sur-Ciel, founded in 1222 by Count Raymond VII of Toulouse, is a medieval bastide built to rehouse the populations devastated by the Albigois Crusade. Its strategic location, overlooking the Cérou valley, makes it a key military lock north of Toulouse County. The first two fortified enclosures were erected in seven years, with Gothic houses built between the 13th and 14th centuries, giving the city a remarkable architectural unit.

The city becomes a high place of Catharism and a flourishing economic center, sheltering artisans and merchants. Its golden age, from the 14th to the 16th century, saw its population reach 5,500. Despite the Wars of Religion, Cordes retained its heritage, later attracting artists and personalities such as Albert Camus and Hayao Miyazaki, who inspired Le Château dans le ciel.

Ranked among The most beautiful villages in France, Cordes-sur-Ciel is today a major tourist site, with 600,000 annual visitors. Its festival of the Grand Fauconnier, its museums (modern art, local history) and its monuments such as the church of Saint-Michel or the well of the Halle (114 m deep) bear witness to its rich past. The city is also a stage of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela.

The village owes its present name to the writer Jeanne Ramel-Cals, who in 1947 renamed Cordes-sur-Ciel to evoke its dominant position in the clouds. Officially adopted in 1993, this name distinguishes the commune of Gordes (Vaucluse). Its natural heritage, with a ZNIEFF and an altered ocean climate, completes its appeal.

The cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and fortified doors (such as the gate of the Ormeaux) illustrate its medieval history. The Society of Friends of the Old Cords preserves this legacy, while events like the Medieval ones perpetuate its memory. The city thus embodies a unique blend of history, culture and preserved landscapes.

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