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 first written record of church in Danmark locality date back to the year 1291. Close to the church are several stones with a Christian text and cross inscribed. The oldest parts of the present red-brick church are from the 1300s. In the late 1400s the church was enlarged to the appearance it has today. The church has been modified both internally and externally several times, among other things after the fires in 1699 and 1889. There are lot of well-preserved mural paintings in the walls.