It is so named because of its location on an elevated hill, a mota (in Spanish), from where it dominates the town and surrounding land.

Initial fortification of the village, repopulated after Moorish depredations, led to the creation of a fortress on the site, starting in 1080.

In 1464, Henry gave the castle to the Archbishop of Toledo, Alonso Carrillo, who soon betrayed the king and backed the rival claimant Afonso V of Portugal.

After a succession of owners, in 1475 the crown of Castile reclaimed the castle and built an artillery bastion, on the entrance of which are the heraldic symbols of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella.

The castle became a prominent prison and variously housed Hernando Pizarro,[2]: 143  Rodrigo Calderón, Duke Ferdinand of Calabria and Cesare Borgia, among others.

In 1939, with the end of Spanish Civil War, dictator Franco lent the castle to Sección Femenina ("Female Section") of FET y de las JONS as its headquarters.