From the 12th C. onwards, two major fortifications shared this task: a keep belonging to the Cardaillac family, the ruins of which stand beside the church, and another held by the Lapopie family, the remains of which can be seen on the way up to the viewpoint. This provides a wonderful panorama, and it's well worth making the effort to climb up there. In mediaeval times, many people settled here to take advantage of the protection the site offered, and of the opportunity provided by the little port below the village to export the goods they made. Tanners, cauldron-makers and wood-turners plied their trades here, and once they had amassed enough money, began to have very nice houses built. This explains the outstanding quality of the village architecture, which is one of the reasons why it belongs to the select group known as "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France".