Castillo de Baena

Castillo de Baena crowns the highest point of its municipality in Córdoba province, originating in the 9th century on Roman foundations after the settlement was destroyed by Omar Ibn Hafsun. The Almoravids and Almohads further developed the fortress, which once featured seven towers defending the frontier between Christian and Nasrí territories. Taken by Ferdinand III in 1241, it became one of Córdoba's most prominent southern outposts and was later granted to the influential House of Córdoba. The square fortress retains its original walls and three distinctive towers—El Secreto, Los Cascabeles, and Cinco Esquinas—meticulously restored between 2007 and 2015 and designated a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1985.