Cordes heritage trail

Crossing Cordes adds significant heritage value to this route, which is further enriched by other interesting historical elements:

In the 14th century, Cordes had fifteen fortified gates. You will pass through only the remaining five. Admire the exceptional facades of Gothic houses from the 13th and 14th centuries. You will walk by the Gaudane embroidery workshop, where nearly 300 mechanical embroidery machines clicked away in the early 19th century.

In the valley, and particularly in Les Cabannes, the water of the Cérou was used by tanners. The leather was then sold by wealthy merchants from Cordes. This activity continued from the 14th to the 19th century in the houses you will find between Place St Félix and Rue des Tanneries.

Just after point 3, you will follow an old railway line connecting Carmaux to Vindrac. It was used to transport coal from the Carmaux mines and a few passengers “without luggage.” It operated for only 2 years (1937 to 1939) after 60 years of planning!

The Nauze, in Occitan, means "the marsh": pond, lagoon, or marshy meadow, suggesting that this area was frequently flooded. A little further, your route will lead you to the beautiful "Pont des Anes" (Historic Monument), featuring two arches and dating back to the 14th century. It is associated with the Moulin de La Bogne and was built to facilitate mule or donkey traffic related to milling activities.

Near the church of St-Martin de Vindrac, there was a vast Gallo-Roman villa covered in the 4th century by a Merovingian necropolis consisting of a small building and 120 sarcophagi, reflecting some of the earliest local Christian practices. Ten years of excavation uncovered only part of the site. Some remains are preserved in the community hall next to the church.

At Les Fargues, before turning left, take a few steps to admire the tall sandstone "turning" cross (a recent copy). It depicts the crucifixion and figures related to Christian charity: Saint Martin on horseback and Mary Magdalene, the patroness of cord makers. According to tradition, it protected crops from storms by orienting the figures towards the storm. The 15th-century original (Historic Monument) is kept in the community hall of Vindrac.

The name of the village Les Cabannes ("cabanas" in Occitan) refers to the modest dwellings occupied by the quarrymen who extracted the stones needed for the construction of Cordes. The Corrompis Quarry, not far from your path, is still in operation.

At point 11, take a moment to stop at this peaceful and historically rich site: the Saint-Jean de Mordagne Chapel, which dates back to the 11th century. It is one of the few chapels with a rounded apse and an ogee arch (choir). During the plagues of the 16th and 17th centuries, wooden huts in this valley housed the plague-stricken from the Cordais area, who were then buried on site, and their dwellings were burned.