Built above a rocky outcrop of about a hundred feet (30 m), the Royal Castle of Collioure has completely covered it. It extends on the site of the first Iberian city, dating from the 6th century BC. A key part of the defense system of Collioure, the fortress underwent three major construction phases to be eventually rebuilt by the Kings of Majorca in the 13th century and transformed into their summer residence. Subsequently, in the 14th century, it was redeveloped by the Kings of Aragon into a military fortification. In the 17th century, Vauban redesigned the monument again by razing the village inside the ramparts and raising the outer enclosure. Finally, the Royal Castle of Collioure was transformed into a prison in 1939.