Standing at the top of the Jalón Valley, this strategic site was originally a Celtiberian fortified settlement, later taken over by the Romans. It would go on to become the capital of the central area occupied by the Moors known as the Marca Media, and seat of the Dukedom of Medinaceli.

The heyday of this town would come in the Renaissance. The town was given to relatives of the monarchs, and it became home to a number of dukes and counts. The remains of this period of prosperity can be seen in the magnificent palace which still presides over the colonnaded main square, within the town’s Moorish layout.