The first stones of Carcassonne were laid in 122 BC by the Romans. The city, however, had different occupants throughout history: the Saracens in 725, then the Franks four years later. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the construction of the count's castle transformed the city into a stronghold. It later loses its defensive role to become a poor district when many Carcassonne inhabitants shift towards the lower town.