In 1264, after a revolt, the remaining Arab inhabitants were expelled.
In the XV century the powerful Ponce de León family took control of the castle, whose importance waned once Granada was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs.
The castle was affected by the great earthquake of 1755, which destroyed Lisbon.
Between 1809 and 1811 the castle was occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic War. From the castle they controlled guerrilla activity in the mountains of Ronda.
As a parting gift, they blew up part of the castle.
In 1922 the castle was auctioned as a ruin and Violeta Buck, daughter of British wine maker Walter J. Buck (1843-1917), bought it.
Buck ran the Sandeman & Buck distilleries and was a pioneer in protecting natural spaces such as Doñana.
Violeta moved in and began the restoration of the castle.
