View from the top of View from the top of Cordes-sur-Ciel over the countrysideCordes-sur-Ciel is nicknamed “The city of 100 ribbed vaults” because it has oneof the largest concentrations of Gothic civil houses in the south of France, builtbetween the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th centuries© Gillian ThorntonLa Halle, built in 1350, to accommodate the weaving andleather work trade © Gillian Thorntonpastel, a yellow plant whose leaves producethe famous blue dye or woad.Porte de l’Horloge, built in the 17th century © Gillian ThorntonSmall clusters of people had already settledhere around a priory when in 1222, RaymondVII, Count of Toulouse, inaugurated thebastide as a fortified commercial hub duringthe Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars.Today it is one of the most popular of the PlusBeaux Villages de France in the south-west,so avoid peak times if you want to experienceCordes at its most atmospheric.Walk slowly up the cobbled streets – ortake Le Petit Train - to pass through rings ofdefensive walls and city gates that graduallyexpanded down the hill as the town grew inimportance. At its height, Cordes was hometo around 5,000 people including merchants,weavers and leatherworkers who conductedbusiness between the pillars of the centralcovered market. Today, however, there arefewer than 1000 residents.Look up at the facades of the grand GothicEscalier du Pater Noster, there are 52 steps, it’s said to match thenumber of words in the Lord’s Prayer © Gillian Thorntonhouses overlooking La Halle on Grande RueRaymond VII. La Maison du Fauconnier withits sculpted heads of dogs and a falcon; theMaison du Grand Veneur carved with huntingscenes; and a little further on, the Maisondu Grand Ecuyer with its figures of mythicalcreatures. To a medieval audience, each onewould have screamed wealth and power throughits references to the noble sport of hunting.The prosperity of Cordes began to decline inthe late 14 th century during the plague andHundred Years War, but fortunes improvedagain over the next 200 years thanks to athriving trade in weaving, leatherwork, andBaking les Croquantesin Noël Emmanuel’s cosykitchen © Gillian ThorntonAnd just as Cordes buzzedwith life in centuries past,so it still does today. Thecobbled streets are hometo craft businesses sellingpaintings and ceramics,leather goods, jewelleryand illuminated books.And don’t miss the town’smust-try sweet treat, LesCroquantes. Made fromsugar, almond, flour and egg whites, they aredeliciously crunchy and moreish, as I find out atLa Manufacture Gourmande where I’m treatedto a peep inside Noël Emmanuel’s cosy kitchen.Leaving Cordes, I head to the opposite hillside,the Puech Haut, where a rough track off acountry lane leads to the classic viewpointacross the valley. Then I continue through theundulating Tuscan-style countryside to thesecond of the three Plus Beaux Villages in thisnorth-western corner of the Tarn.Castelnau-de-Montmiral proves equally prettybut noticeably quieter than Cordes with fewerbusinesses to attract casual visitors. But thetranquil streets exude a charm all their own.Places des Arcades, Castelnau-de-Montmiral © Gillian ThorntonAlso founded by Raymond VII as a strategicstronghold, Castelnau retains sections ofits 13th century fortifications, although themedieval castle is long gone.But I’m still able to see what the castle lookedlike thanks to the excellent free app, EnQuêtewhich provides an interactive tour to sixemblematic communities in the Tarn – thePlus Beaux Villages of Castlenau, Cordesand Puycelsi, plus Gaillac, Lisle-sur-Tarn andRabastens. Download at home in English touse before your visit or as a virtual tour guideas you go.I particularly love the insights and virtualreality scenes that EnQuête gives me toCastelnau’s glorious Places des Arcades,fringed with timber-framed houses. Soakup the atmosphere of the Tuesday morningmarket and maybe linger over lunch atL’Auberge des Arcades.From Castelnau, it is less than 15km throughLa Toscane Occitan to Puycelsi on the edge38 | The Good Life FranceThe Good Life France | 39
