Cordes Favorites

Favorite thing: We visited Cordes during the last days of April. So the streets were empty and the shops and restaurants closed for their major part.
But in Summer the city which did not surrender to the crusaders is invaded by the tourists.
Outside the walls, the parking places are numerous and expensive. The price depending on the distance with the summit : 2.50 Euros lower places, 3.50 for the places near the walls. And be aware : the garde champetre is watchful and gives a fine to anybody parking in the historical area (except inhabitants) or forgeting to pay the ticket.

Favorite thing: Cordes conserve comme un trésor inviolable, certains secrets qui permettent d’entretenir l’imagination :
- le puits de la Halle de plus de 100 mètres de profondeur,
- les messages perdus des sculptures des façades gothiques,
- le curieux manuscrit des «Sorts des Apôtres»,
- les légendes qui flottent dans les lieux aux noms évocateurs : rue Chaude, rue du Paradis, rue Obscure, Jardin Royal, ... et
- l’évocation du dragon qui semble hanter le site depuis la nuit des temps.

Galerie d'eau de la Rue Chaude, creusée dans le calcaire, afin de recueillir les eaux d'infiltration.

Fondest memory: Legends and Mysteries


Cordes canned food like a treasure inviolable, certain secrets that permit to maintain the imagination :
- the well of the Covered market of more than 100 meters of depth,
- the messages lost of the Gothic facade sculptures,
- the curious handwritten of them «Fates of the Apostles», t
- he legends that float in the places to the reminiscent names : Hot street, Rue du Paradis, Dark street, Royal Garden,... and
- the evocation of the dragon that seems to haunt the site since the night of the times.
Gallery of water of the Hot Street, dug in the limestone, in order to collect the waters of infiltration.

Favorite thing: Retable du maître-autel de l'église Saint-Michel, en bois sculpté, peint et doré (XVIIe siècle).

Fondest memory: Odd time
Retable of the high altar of the church Saint - Michel, in sculpted wood, paints and golden (XVIth century).

Favorite thing: Les siècles suivants laissèrent leurs empreintes sans modifier l’aspect général de la cité ni son cadre urbain: la Renaissance, durant la période où la culture du pastel provoqua de belles fortunes, l’époque baroque qui suivit les guerres de religion, les XVIIIe et XIXe siècles qui modifièrent certaines architectures et enrichirent les édifices religieux.

Fondest memory: The following centuries let their prints without modifying the general aspect of the city nor its urban setting : the Renaissance, during the period where the culture of the pastel provoked beautiful fortunes, the odd time that followed the wars of religion, the XVIIIth and XIXth centuries that modified some architectures and enriched the religious buildings.

Favorite thing: Maisons Gothiques

Entre 1280 et 1350, des marchands enrichis et quelques familles nobles font édifier les luxueuses demeures et petits palais urbains qui font aujourd’hui la renommée de Cordes.


L’architecture adopte le décor gothique et certaines façades s’ornent de sculptures en haut relief qui en font de véritables livres de pierre.

Fondest memory: Gothic houses


Between 1280 and 1350, of the enriched merchants and some noble families have the luxurious homes and small urban palaces that make today the renown of Ropes built.


The architecture adopts the Gothic decor and some facades decorate themselves of sculptures in high relief that make some real books of stone.

Favorite thing: Dès la fin du XIIIe siècle, la prospérité économique de Cordes exige la construction d'une halle au centre même de la cité.

Fondest memory: Since the end of the XIIIth century, the prosperity economic of Cordes requires the construction of a covered market to centers it even of the city.

Favorite thing: Cordes en Ciel is a medieval village, perched on a rocky peg.

One assigns him a history important Cathar. Probably hardly more that the other villages of the region. It doesn't remove anything to beauty from this village to the beautiful houses of stone shut in by a surrounding wall to the numerous monumental doors.

The village, forbidden to the vehicles of the non residents visits itself on foot (it is a little sporty, steep bus). The paved streets permit to admire very beautiful houses of XIV, XV and XVI th centuries. In top of the village, a very beautiful covered market and its deep puit of 120 meters.

Fondest memory: The tourist will visit the church St Michel (organ) and one will appreciate the view on the vineyards of controlled appellation of the wines of Gaillac.

Favorite thing: Cordes va connaître une croissance exceptionnelle. La bastide primitive déborde les premiers remparts, s’augmente de faubourgs qui exigent la construction de nouvelles lignes de fortifications (5 au total).
En trois générations, elle devint une véritable ville de plus de 5000 habitants qui doit sa prospérité aux industries des toiles, des cuirs, au commerce et à la finance.

Fondest memory: Cordes are going to know an exceptional growth. The primitive bastide overflows the first battlements, intensify of outskirts that requires the construction of new lines of fortifications (5 to the total).
In three generations, it became a real city of more than 5000 inhabitants who owe its prosperity to the industries of canvases, of leathers, to the trade and to the finance.