Cordes-sur-Ciel – breathtakingly beautiful historic French bastide town
Come with us as we explore or Cord Susiel. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful historic towns we have ever visited. Its original name is Cord and the Suiel, meaning in the sky, was added in honor of a poet from the nearby town of Albi. Her name was Jean Ramulc, who liked to use this term because of the town’s position high above the clouds that often settled over the river valley. The town is one of the oldest bastid in southwest France. It was built by Raymond IIth, Count of Tus from 1222. A Bastid is a fortified town mostly built between the end of the 12th century and the 14th century. These were built basically as part of a program of recovery from periods of warfare that had devastated the region. Bastids like Cordsiel were places where the population who farmed the lands could be safe and also act as centers of commerce. So over time, Cord became a thriving place for merchants and artisans, a center for trade and commerce as well as for protection. The houses you can see here were mostly built between the 13th and 15th centuries and reflect a range of medieval styles of architecture. Often you can see a combination of styles and building techniques in the one building so you can trace how it was added to and modified over time. As at Njac, which you can see in another of our videos, there’s a main street leading up to a fortified area with thick castle-like walls. And inside there, as you walk through the streets, at almost every turn, you see visual surprises. There are so many wow moments that make you stop and admire the beauty, the uniqueness of this historic and charming town. And still the streets lead upwards. At the highest point, there’s a lovely town square with very fine Gothic municipal buildings and stunning views over the valley below. Tourism has led to a revival of the town with a range of shops making and selling clothes, arts and crafts. You can go into workshops that are home to potters, painters, and jewelry makers. And there’s a good selection of cafes and restaurants, too. So do sit back and soak in the beauty and majesty of this ancient and wonderful town as we walk through. Wow. Wow. Hallelujah. Thank you. photospec. Woo! Wow! Heat. Heat. Oh, do you want to go down? Be careful. Thank you. Yes. No. It’s a good idea. as well. Hallelujah. Woo! Heat! Heat. Heat.
Join us as we stroll through the amazing French town of Cordes-sur-Ciel, set on a hill and sitting above the clouds!
Dating back to the year 1222, the town is well-preserved and full of medieval buildings.
Why does no one have the vision to build towns like this any more, I wonder?