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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Michel de Cordes-sur-Ciel, built from 1263, was first mentioned in 1269 during a lifting of size for its construction. The choir and side chapels, built in limestone, date from this initial campaign, probably completed before 1287, when an agreement was signed there. The arches of warheads, adorned with homogeneous leafy decorations, could go back to this period, although some hypotheses placed them after 1345.

In 1345, the nave, threatening ruin, was determined to be rebuilt in greater size, but the work seemed to be interrupted, perhaps because of the Hundred Years' War. Only the reconstruction of the bell tower was attested between 1369 and 1374, financed by local taxation. The present nave, which is 0.99 m wide on each side, is finally rebuilt in the 15th century: a contract was signed in 1455 with the master mason Corant Rogier, and the first stone laid in 1460 by the bishop of Albi Bernard de Cazillac.

The chapels, originally planned lower than the nave, are finalized at the same height. The one attached to the western bell tower is the result of a 1469 contract with Rogier. The work ended around 1485, after the laying of the wall crowns. The building suffered damage in 1568 during a fire caused by the Protestants, requiring a repair of the roof. In the 19th century, neo-Renaissance decorations (1841-1844) and stained glass (1848, 1866) were added, while the lower parts of the windows were walled.

The architecture combines defensive elements — such as the octagonal bell tower, inspired by neighbouring castles — with flamboyant Gothic decorations (pink, bay networks). The flat bedside, blind on the outside, retains an interior niche masked by the altarpiece. The materials contrast between the exterior limestone and the sandstone of the interior walls. The original gate, condemned after lowering the square, is moved on the south flank.

Ranked a historical monument in 1922, the church illustrates the architectural evolution of Cordes, a prosperous medieval bastide. His history is documented by Charles Portal (1862-1936), a local historian, and archives mentioning gifts of notables for private chapels. The building replaces a first parish church dedicated to the Virgin, located outside the walls, on the current cemetery.

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