The Quéribus fortress is a massive and imposing Cathar citadel perched atop a rocky ridge almost 2,391 ft (729 m) above sea level. During the Albigensian Crusade, it constituted one of the last refuges of the Cathars with the Château de Puilaurens. As commander of the stronghold, Chabert de Barbaira resisted the King of France and the Catholic Church until 1255, when he was taken prisoner by Olivier de Termes and finally ceded Quéribus to the King in exchange for his freedom. The king's engineers then worked to transform this impregnable little castle into the imposing fortress Quéribus is today.