Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.
A key strategic position between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean, a prosperous medieval city, the home of the Cathars, a royal stronghold, an important textile production center; Carcassonne has seen many incarnations between its abandonments, looting and subsequent royal restorations.
Located on the Carsac plateau and built on and inhabited since antiquity, occupation of this strategic high point would be desired by many. The Roman conquerors move in during the 1st century BC and are the first to build solid walls. Repeatedly conquered and then lost, the city would be successively occupied by the Visigoths, the Saracens and the Franks.