 It was later ruled by many feudal families, among them the Orsini-Del Balzo and Zurlo-Pisciscelli, then from 1547 to 1639 it was under the Sancez De Luna d'Aragona, who were followed by the Caracciolo of Melissano, Spinelli of San Giorgio and finally, from 1738, the Sanseverino from Bisignano.Records of the year 1010 show Grottole as a town with 13,000 inhabitants, but plagues and wars reduced the number to a little over 4,000 in 1133.Later records mentions about 1300 people in 1493, and 2010 in 1783.