In the center of Gruissan castle in the Aude department, the Barberousse tower is instantly recognizable. During the first millennium, the tower emerging from the top of its rock was a sentry watching the navigation towards the port of Narbonne. The castle of Gruissan already existed in 1084, but the islet with steep slopes and surrounded by deep waters on which it stands was highly inhospitable. The castle and its islet were gradually fortified and transformed into a stronghold in which the inhabitants could seek shelter from the insecurity of the countryside and the incursions of the Barbaric corsairs.