Cordes-sur-Ciel is a commune of the Tarn département, in France. The fortified town was built in 1222 by the Count of Toulouse, a Cathar heretic, and is now a popular tourist spot. Until recently the town's name was Cordes, a word thought to come from the Indo-European root "corte" meaning "rocky heights." History In 1222, Cordes received its charter to become a "bastide" (fortified town) from the Count of Toulouse. It was built between 1222 and 1229 to protect the scattered population of the area from conflict. It was made to replace the village of Saint-Marcel, which was burnt down by the troops of Simon de Montfort in 1215, during the Northern Baron's crusade against the Albigensians. In the 1229 Treaty of Paris Raymond VII of Toulouse conceded defeat to Louis IX of France. In 1241, Jeanne, the Count of Toulouse, married Alphonse II the brother of Louis IX and the Count of Poitiers. As a result, Cordes became