Obejo

Located to the north of the provincial capital, in the Sierra Morena, the village of Obejo is made up of low hills and peaks covered with typical Mediterranean vegetation and olive. Its major point of natural interest is the fact that a large number of rivers and streams which supply water to the capital flow through the municipal AREA.

The village, which stands atop a hill, sheltered by the surrounding mountains and dominated by St. Anthony the Abbot"s Church, exudes an air of peacefulness and calm which is only briefly shattered by the famous San Benito Festival, when 32 of the village"s men perform the Sword Dance, a ceremony of great touristic interest.

History

Situated at the heart of the Sierra Morena. Ubal (Obejo) Castle is mentioned by al-Idrisi in the 12th century . In the 13th century, it appears in documents belonging to the archives of Cordoba Cathedral as Evallo or Uballo. The name is of romance origin. Uballa is the Mozarabic denomination for a species of wild grape that grows on rooftops.
The village stands in a very isolated location, so it is hardly surprising that it went unnoticed until some time after the rest of the region had been reconquered. It is said that when Ferdinand II (the Holy) conquered Cordoba, his army did not find Obejo until some time later, when they captured its fortress; its castle was one of those placed by Ferdinand III under the jurisdiction of the city of Cordoba in 1243.