Constantly invaded from the Middle Ages up to the Franco-Spanish wars under Louis XIV, La Thiérache has a very distinct identity. It is the region with the highest concentration of fortified buildings in France: Notre-Dame in Liart, the church at Signy-le-Petit, and Saint-Étienne in Servion. In these parts, farms look like fortresses, and the thick-walled churches have towers with arrow loopholes. This is an attractive region of rolling hills and lovely villages typically built of yellow stone, cob or brick.