La Vilavella, the founding nucleus of the current Nules, is of Roman origin, a Hispano-Roman sanctuary is known, excavated in 1979, located on the top of the Santa Bárbara mountain. However, the origins of the current population must be placed in the time of Muslim occupation, when a castle was built that served to bring together the dispersed population.

The first charter of nature of Villavieja is given by the Muslim population that settled in the castle that was surrendered to King Jaime I of Aragon in the spring of 1238. At the beginning of the 13th century, Puebla Nueva de Nules was founded, origin of the city ​​of Nules, whose current municipal term corresponds to that of the old Arab castle, remaining the old nucleus with the name of Vilavella de Nules. The castle, the old medieval castle of Nules, was the head of a barony that included, in addition to the current Villavieja, the farmhouses of Aigües Vives, Mezquita, Rápita or Moncófar, Beniezma, Mascarell, la Pobla, la Seyt, Benicató and la Alcudia, this Barony was donated by Jaime I to Guillem de Montcada in 1251. Once the lordship of Montcada was extinguished, in 1314 the fief passed to Gilabert de Centelles, it was around this time that the population of the current Nules was founded, remaining in the nucleus of Villavieja de Nules the Moorish population until their expulsion in 1609. Two years later Cristóbal de Centelles, Marquis of Nules, repopulated the Villa Vieja de Nules with 29 heads of families.