the first inhabitants of what is now béjar were the vettones who settled an area to the south of the city now known as "la antigua" around 400 bc. the city formed part of roman hispania in the beginning of the 1st century bc. in ad 713, the city was taken by muslim berbers (moors) from the visigoths and in the 11th century it was conquered by king alfonso vi of castile. following this, the walls, part of which still stands, are constructed to repel frequent arab incursions that took place until the definitive conquest.