Medieval Quarter of La Villa

In the area surrounding the Plaza Vieja of Cabra, visitors will find the Medieval Quarter of La Villa. There is a beautiful garden, truly a feast for the eyes, along the slope of Calle Mayor, which leads to the Castle of the Counts of Cabra, notable for its impressive keep. Built on top of a Roman fortress in Arab times, this castle was part of the ancient city walls and housed the Palace of the Counts of Cabra. It later became a Capuchin convent, and today it is a teaching place for the Escolapian Mothers.

On the slope, attached to a column, we can see "Tizona", the old sword of the Cid, beneath which the following legend can be read: "For his deeds before this castle, Moors and Christians called Ruy Díaz de Vivar the Cid Campeador. This Tizona of his preserves his memory."

When you get to the top, everything looks different. A new kind of Cabra appears, an indescribable peace: immense trees, palms and the Palace gate – nowadays the Convent of the Franciscan Mothers, which graces our gaze with its gardens overlooking the plain.

The Parish of the Assumption occupies the centre of the square in the Old Town, built by the Calatrava Brothers on the site of an old mosque, with its minaret serving as a bell tower.