In 1082 the ruler of Albi and Nimes gained control of Carcassonne and allied districts, thereafter governing extensive territory within Languedoc. In ensuing centuries, Cathari sentiment grew strong in the region, eventually reaching levels which deeply alarmed orthodox religious authority. Matters came to a head in 1208, when a Crusade was preached against the sect. The Albigensian Crusade, which takes it's name from Albi, a principal Cathari district belonging to the Viscounts, was a particularly savage affair which lasted more than a generation (1209-1247), and though successful in despoiling the region and nearly depopulating some districts, was not especially successful in extirpating heterodox thought here: the area remained a Templar stronghold until the beginning of the 14th century, and even today there is considerable sympathy for Cathar folklore and tradition.