The white-washed village of Zuheros lies at the foot of rough, ashen, rocky ravines. The white-washed village of Zuheros lies at the foot of rough, ashen, rocky ravines. From the viewpoint, the village appears as a disordered stack of dice, formed by houses with ochre rooftops and darkened windows that appear like sleepy, half-closed eyes. In the background, the time-worn towers of the castle-palace watch over the triangular form of the urban centre, providing a panoramic view of the greyish green sea of olive groves.
- This village is located in the southeast of the province, 8 km from the C-432.
- Distance from Córdoba: 76 km.
- Altitude: 622 m.
- Surface area: 42.26 km2.
- Population: 821.
- Term used to designate inhabitants: Zuhereños.
- Region: Subbética Cordobesa
Zuheros appears to have arisen at the end of the 9th century, when Banu Himsi soldiers erected a castle on inexpugnable rocks [sujaira] and settled in the area. The locality originally belonged to the cora [territorial division] of Elvira (Granada), and was fortified at the end of the 12th century. In approximately 1240, the area was conquered by Ferdinand III, who appointed a lord over the castle in order to strengthen the defences along the border with the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. Having changed hands on various occasions, Alfonso X ceded Zuheros to his son, Prince John; however, as the result of a broken agreement, Sancho IV conquered the locality in 1293 and placed it under the jurisdiction of the Council of Córdoba, and the Zuheros remained under this authority.
