This is the oldest building in Villaviciosa.
The first fortress was built in the time of the Catholic Monarchs by the Marquises of Moya. Almost a century later, it was rebuilt on the orders of the Count of Chinchón, Diego Fernández Cabrera, by the famous architect Juan de Herrera.

The castle currently belongs to the Ministry of Defence, which uses it as the historical archive of the Spanish Air Force.
Every year an open day is held during the patron saint's festivities to welcome visitors. It can also be visited on request.
In addition, its courtyard is the setting for the summer classical music programme.

The Council of Government has declared the Muslim site of Calatalifa, in Villaviciosa de Odón, an Asset of Cultural Interest.

It is one of the most important Andalusian settlements in the region and constitutes a "valuable material testimony of Islamic culture" in the Community of Madrid.

It was occupied from the 9th century until the Castilian conquest and was abandoned during the late Middle Ages. Archaeological excavations have also revealed an Emirate and even earlier past.

Due to its great archaeological and historical wealth, this place has become "a point of reference for the study of the Middle Ages and the Andalusian world".