A little potted history: In the 4th Century B.C., a group of Greeks from ancient Ionian city of Phocaea on the west coast of what is now Turkey, established the first colony in Empúries, at that time united with the mainland by a strip of land. They called the colony Palaiàpolis. This, although it lost importance, was never totally abandoned, and with the decline of the Roman Empire from the 3rd Century, regained importance as a principal settlement. There was continuity due to Sant Martí being episcopal headquarters between 516 and 693 A.D., although hardly any buildings remain from that time. In 715, the entire zone was conquered by the Muslims but Charlemagne recaptured it in 785. With the reorganisation of Spanish territories in 812, came the first medieval Count of Empúries: Ermenguer. Sant Martí was, therefore the county town until at least 1064, when it was decided to move the honour to Castelló d’Empúries.