This small-fortified hilltop town had five defensive walls to provided ample protection. At the end of the 13th Century, the town was considered very large with more than 5500 inhabitants. After the Albigensian Crusades, its commerce, including linen weaving and leatherwork, prospered. Small industries were very profitable and between 1280 - 1350 rich merchant families built sumptuous ‘palace’ homes here.
It prospered for over 100 years until attacked by the warring bishops and persecuted Huguenots. To add to the town’s misery, it was hit by the plague and slowly sank into oblivion.
Fortunes were rekindled during WWII when painter Yves Brayer ‘discovered’ this fascinating backwater of a town with its medieval houses and quaint streets and started an artist community.
For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages (Wine Regions, Places of Interest)