Cordes-sur-Ciel

Cordes-sur-Ciel is a commune in the Tarn department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. The fortified town was built in 1222 by Raimond VII, the Count of Toulouse, who, though not a Cathar, tolerated what other Catholics considered heresy.

Since the late 20th century, the village has become a popular tourist destination. Until 1993, the town's name was Cordes, a word thought to come from the Indo-European root "corte" meaning "rocky heights." That year, it was renamed Cordes-sur-Ciel, to indicate its height above the clouds over low-lying areas of the valley.