Villanueva del Duque

Villanueva del Duque, Los Pedroches Region

Villanueva del Duque is a municipality situated in the comarca (region) of Pedroches, to the north of the province of Córdoba, in a landscape of farmland and pastures of oak. The town, like all those of the region, shows the characteristic use of granite as building material and window lintels, in contrast to the white limed walls. Of note is the Church of S. Matthew, a particularly interesting building.

The foundation of a new population centre in the late fifteenth century within the county of Belalcázar was linked to the Duke of Bejar since 1518, and gave motivation the name of the town: Villanueva del Duque. For much of the sixteenth century, it would be named as Marquis de Villanueva, later to be replaced by the current name. Its origins date back to the Chalcolithic era, and it became an important mining centre in Roman times.

In its historical origins it is directly linked to the condado de Belalcázar, it was granted by Enrique IV to Alonso de Sotomayor and formed part of Gaete and Hinojosa del Duque, given the name of Villanueva del Marques, later changed to the current name.

In 1601 it was granted the title of Villa, having paid the sum 4,000 ducats to the royal treasury. The town was always within the bishopric of Cordova, but civilly and administratively was under the jurisdiction of the former province of Extremadura through to the middle of the last century.

Villanueva del Duque Monuments

San Mateo Parish Church, has remnants of the Gothic era (fifteenth century).
Virgen de Guía Chapel (XV century).
San Gregoria Chapel (now in ruins).
Effigy of San Juan Bautista (sculpture of the thirteenth century) and five more of: Virgen de Guia, San Mateo, San Blas, Santa Julia and la Virgen Nina, now deposited in the Diocesan Museum.
Renaissance wall paintings found in the walls of the Priests’ Chapel of La Virgen de Guia.
Pulpit in the same chapel, a work of 1677.
Iron railings at the Shrine of La Virgen de Guia, 1587.

Archaeological

Remains of El Soldado-las Morras (remains from the Chalcolithic to Roman times).
Castillo de la Mora (now in ruins).
Traditional rural ovens for baking bread (late XIX).
Remains of old lead mines.

Urban
Calle Reyes Catolico (traditionally known as Fuente Vieja). Plaza Verdinal.

Villanueva del Duque Gastronomy

Villanueva del Duque is noted for its migas, sausage, chorizo, potato “cachorreas”, sobrehúsa cod, “ropa vieja”, garlic soup, lechon frito lomo de orza and relleno. For dessert, we can always order buenas hojuelas, perrunas or  borrachuelos.

Directions

• From Córdoba: N-432 to the intersection of Espiel. N-502 to Alcaracejos and A-420 to Villanueva del Duque
• From Badajoz: A-420 from Cabeza del Buey through Belalcázar, Hinojosa del Duque and Fuente la Lancha. CO-405 from Monterrubio de la Serena to Belalcázar and A-420 to Villanueva del Duque.
• From Ciudad Real: N-502 to Alcaracejos through Santa Eufemia and El Viso. A-420 to Villanueva del Duque

Distances from Villanueva del Duque

El Viso 12 km
Cordoba 75 km
Alcaracejos 3 km
Belalcázar 27 km
Pozoblanco 14 km
Santa Eufemia 27 km
Fuente la Lancha 5.5 km
Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo 29 km
Villaviciosa de Cordoba 57 km