To truly appreciate the walled city of Ile de Cite,(perched on a hill in Carcassone) it is recommended that you glean a little of the local history. Because of its strategic location between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and between Spain and France,the hillfort was highly desirable to various marauding bands and as a result has seen its share of burning,beatings and dismantlings. Evidence exists that the site was habitated as far back as 11B.C. by the Gauls then eventually the Romans who built a castle and ramparts. Original walls from this time period are still visible. During the 5th century, the Visigoths strengthened the ramparts but it fell to the Saracens in 725 A.D.,then resisted siege by the Franks in the 750's. After the Crusades, the inner ramparts were consolidatd and an outer wall (which stretches over a mile long and contains 19 towers)was built. Lower than the inner ramparts ,this wall remained below the line of fire of dedending troops. If the enemy forces succeeded in passing this first wall they were blocked on the jousting grounds,a passage which ran between the two walls. There are 4 main gates,protecting the citadel from all directions.
Medieval lords systematically made improvements on the military architecture of the town, adding castles, towers, curtain walls designed to give archers a means of keeping watch on gates and moats. These wooden galleries have all been restored. An original castle houses an archaelogical museum. However, there are many additions to the restoration that are not "authentic" but were merely fantasies entertained by Violett-le-Duc,such as the towers and arrow-slits, which the original fortress lacked. Supposedly, so much of the Ile de Cite is fabrication that it only squeaked by in its application and acceptance into UNESCO in 1997.