Set within a greenish grey landscape of magnificent olive trees, with a balcony overlooking the lands of Jaén. Set within a greenish grey landscape of magnificent olive trees, with a balcony overlooking the neighbouring lands of Jaén, this seemingly modest village pleasantly surprises travellers with features such as the emblematic tower of the old castle, the Renaissance façade of the parish church, the decorative cupola of the chapel housing the patron, the flower-filled gardens that embellish open spaces and the stately homes formerly owned by the nobility.
- The village is located in the east of the Province of Córdoba, in the Campiña Baja [lower Campiña], next to the N-324 road.
- Distance from Córdoba: 49 km.
- Altitude: 320 m.
- Surface area: 104.2 km2.
- Population: 3211.
- Term used to designate inhabitants: Cañeteros.
- Region: Alto Guadalquivir.
Whilst identification of Cañete with the Calpurniana of antiquity remains to be confirmed, it is believed that the current village arose around the site of a Roman settlement, known during the period of Moorish occupation as Qannit, meaning reedbed. The village was conquered by Christian forces in 1237. In 1293, the Council of Córdoba, which exercised ownership of the village, ceded it to Alfonso Fernández de Córdoba, whereby, according to Professor R. Córdoba, Cañete came to represent the “foundational base of the domains of this powerful family”, who would subsequently become the Lords of Aguilar and the Marquesses of Priego.
