Castillo de la Peña was originally a prehistorical settlement, an Iberian fortified village and, very probably, the location of a Roman temple. The current fortification is located here because Omar ben Harfsun conquered the Peña, where originally a representative of the Cordoba state was settled (al-Tayubi) in the year 883 AD.
Omar, the leader of the Mozarabic riot in the mountain ranges of Malaga, fortified the Sajrat Farda Fardaris. He enclosed the natural perimeter with walls and towers and built on the top a square fortress.
The Peña de Ardales Castle is a clear landmark in the area and remains in time since the Middle Ages. From the castle and from the Turón Castle, which has been reinforced, the Castilian attacks were repelled in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. La Peña was definately conquered by the troops lead by King Juan II and established themselves in Teba Castle in 1453.
Now, the Peña de Ardales Castle stores architectural remains from the walls, from the door of Justice and from the fortress. The fortress was bakly damaged because it was destroyed during the War of Independence.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.