[4] Coca, which is the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, has been inhabited since the second century BC when the Arevaci arrived and settled here.

Brickwork and plaster work was used to create geometrical patterns depicting a hybrid of Moorish Muslim and Christian Gothic architecture.

[8] The ground plan of the castle is rectangular, and it has a three-tiered defence system consisting of wall circuits enclosed within a moat and a central keep.

The second curtain wall has a gate near the inner keep with a high brick arch enclosed by a geometric border, the alfiz, which is a classic Moorish design feature.

It has centered cylindrical towers on each side and smaller turrets between them, while the talus is constructed all the way down to the moat.

In 1512 a number of extra ornamental features were added to the keep and the castle exterior under the supervision of engineers.

Communeras troops attacked the castle in retaliation to the burning of Medina del Campo.

In 1645, Gaspar Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, 9th Duke of Medina Sidonia was accused to treachery after he instigated the Andalusian independentist conspiracy of 1641, and was imprisoned in the castle.

After 1730 the castle suffered a long period of neglect that led to it falling into disrepair, and subsequently many important artifacts were either lost or destroyed.

The French troops were, obviously, not concerned with the upkeep of the castle and many ornamental features fell into ruin during this time.

As the castle was under the ownership of the House of Alba at that time, the owners tore away a number of columns, marble pieces and other ornamental features and sold them off to the highest bidder.

The Ministry in charge of the castle wanted to restore it so that they could open a school of forestry training.

The repair and renovation work was conducted under the supervision of the Spanish avant-garde architect Miguel de los Santos Nicolás.

The team of architects, which included Francisco Pons Sorolla was given carte blanche by the General Directorate of Fine Arts.

The furniture displayed in the armory is original and dates back to the fifteenth and sixteenth century AD.

[5] Columns from the balustrade were sold off by the administrators when the castle was in disrepair in order to pay for the upkeep.