Doña Mencía

The town of Doña Mencía is situated at the north-western edge of the nature reserve, at an altitude of around 600 m above sea level, and has a population of ...

Its municipal area is one of the smallest in the province of Córdoba (just 15.4 km²) and borders Baena, Zuheros and Cabra. As well as its castle, some of its main heritage sites include the façade of the former Church of La Consolación, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit and the Calvary, as well as the old Torre de la Plata and the Cyclopean fortifications at La Oreja de la Mula. El Laderón deserves a special mention; it is the main archaeological site within the municipality, where remains dating from the Bronze Age to the medieval period have been found, with its heyday occurring during the Iberian-Roman period. In mid-September, Doña Mencía celebrates its fair in honour of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, and in late April, the fair dedicated to San Pedro Mártir de Verona, the town’s patron saint, featuring a pilgrimage that takes place in the area known as El Puerto. The town takes its name from Doña Mencía López de Haro (1215–1270), a noblewoman from Biscay who was first the wife of Captain D. Álvaro Pérez de Castro (El Castellano) and later Queen of Portugal after marrying King Sancho II.