Nečven originates, according to the 19th-century historian Grgur Urlić-Ivanović who first described the remains,[1] in the 9th century, and was named, according to legend, after a beautiful girl from the area that rejected all violence from the Bribirers and eventually poisoned herself to avoid capture.
The northeast courtyard wall was separated by a deep moat and perhaps a moving (lifting) bridge from the remains of the fortress.
The First Lords of Nečven-Nelipić were at the height of their power after the collapse of Mladen Šubić II (1322 AD) when they were named as the major force in the Southern Croatian region by Prince Nelipac.
The Turks ruled Nečven from 1522 to 1678 or 1686, apart from a period between 1648 and 1670 during which it was given to Venetian vassals Šibenik and Trogir, and burned down at the orders of Leonardo Foscolo,[3] using the established constructions they found and the mighty wooden bridge over the river Krka.
By the end of the 18th century, the fortress lost its strategic importance, and it was abandoned and the surrounding villages depopulated.