Los Pedroches is an area situated in the north of the province of Cordoba, in the northern foothills of the Sierra Morena. It covers a huge area of some 3,618 km2, almost a third of the province of Cordoba, and is home to seventeen municipalities: Alcaracejo, Añora, Belalcazar, Cardeña, Conquista, Dos Torres, Fuente la Lancha, El Guijo, Hinojosa del Duque, Pedroches, Pozoblanco, Santa Eufemia, Torrecampo, Villanova de Cordoba, Villanueva del Duque, Villaralto and El Viso.
Los Pedroches is a truly natural area whose physical and lithological conditions, climate, vegetation, economic activity and culture mark it out from the rest of the province of Cordoba. Its geographical position close to the borders of other provinces means that it enjoys strong ties with the areas of La Serena in Extremadura and La Alcudia in La Mancha. In fact, on arrival, the visitor will be struck by the remarkable similarity between its landscape and architecture and those of the villages of Extremadura and Castile, a sharp contrast to the white villages that typify the Guadalquivir Valley.
The extensive crop and cattle farming carried out here has seen significant changes to the natural vegetation originally found in the area. On the Los Pedroches peneplain, the elimination of bushes coupled with the conservation of trees (holm and cork oaks) has created one of the area’s most familiar landscapes: the holm oak pasture, the ideal setting for crop and cattle farming, activities which vary from area to area according to the specific use made in each of this valuable resource.
Like other inland areas of Andalusia, Los Pedroches is highly dependent on the primary sector, with the exception of Pozoblanco and Hinojosa del Duque, where industry (construction, wood and metal work, natural stones and textiles) and the tertiary sector (closely linked to the primary sector) are also significant. The type of agriculture carried out in Los Pedroches is determined by the climatic, orographic and edaphological conditions that prevail here, which have led to the parallel development of an important cattle farming sector which has become the driving force behind the development of the area. Over half of the surface area of Los Pedroches consists of holm oak pastures devoted primarily to extensive pig and cow farming for Iberian pork and beef production, followed by the cultivation of cereal crops and, to a lesser degree, trees, notably olive groves. Cardeña-Montoso Natural Park is also the scene of significant environmental and hunting activity. The tourism and artisan sectors, which are growing year by year, are of immense significance and potential in the area.
The cattle farming sector is currently the mainstay of economic prosperity and development in the area, accounting for the largest percentage of workers employed as well as generating a significant volume of business in the shape of the various different agrifood industries derived from cattle rearing. The predominant sectors of cattle farming in the area are the production of lamb (extensive and semi-extensive farming), beef (extensive), Iberian pork (extensive and, to a lesser degree, semi-extensive) and cow’s milk (intensive and semi-intensive). However, mention should be made here of the importance of sheep and goat’s milk which, though not overly significant productively speaking, are the sectors in which greatest effort is currently being invested on the part of the local government as far as research and training are concerned, in terms of both genetic improvements to local breeds and the use of technology in the artisan cheese production industry. At the same time, ecological crop and cattle farming is being developed in areas devoted to ecological olive grove cultivation.
Although the agrifood industry could be seen as relatively insignificant in overall terms, it is nevertheless the sector that is experiencing highest growth in terms of creating employment, as well as providing an important complement as far as the aggregate value of primary sector products in Los Pedroches is concerned. The number of companies making cheese in Los Pedroches has grown in recent years, thanks in no small part to the training and technical advice provided by the Hinojosa del Duque Agricultural Research and Training Centre and to the ADROCHES Association.
Los Pedroches’ architectural heritage consists primarily of religious buildings, a wide variety of which can be found in the area’s towns and villages. Mostly built during the early or late Middle Ages, these are generally of Gothic, Renaissance or Baroque style. Worthy of special mention are Los Sotomayor Castle, Santiago el Mayor Church, Santa Clara Convent (Belalcazar), Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church (Dos Torres) and San Juan Bautista Church (Hinojosa del Duque).