The red and white houses of the hamlet extend over the sides of the hills of Molino de Viento and El Almendro. The red and white houses of the hamlet extend over the sides of Molino de Viento and El Almendro, whilst the stream named Tapón, which irrigates the patchwork plots of a small meadow, flows at the foot of these hills. The labyrinth of crooked streets spreads around the white-washed form of the parish church, whilst the clear pealing of the bells echoes in the hillocks and along the riverside.
- The village is located in the Sierra Morena, next to the Valle del Guadiato [Guadiato Valley], a short distance from the N-432.
- Distance from Córdoba: 43 km.
- Altitude: 693 m.
- Surface area: 468.02 km2.
- Population: 3.601.
- Term used to designate inhabitants: Villaviciosanos.
- Region: Valle del Guadiato.
The origin of the village is linked to worship of the Virgen de Villaviciosa, an image from the Portuguese town bearing this name that was brought to the area by a Portuguese priest named Hernando at the end of the 15th century. Marian worship gave rise to the erection of a chapel, which, throughout the Modern era, drew together the inhabitants of nearby country houses and neighbouring villages. Charles III elevated the hamlet to the status of a village, whereby the locality, previously a dependency of Espiel, achieved independence.
