 Political struggles also resulted in the fortification of many towns, or the rebuilding and strengthening of walls that remained from the Roman period.One of the most notable surviving fortifications is that of the city of Carcassonne.The enclosure of towns brought about a lack of living space within the walls, and resulted in a style of town house that was tall and narrow, often surrounding communal courtyards, as at San Gimignano in Tuscany.