Casa de las Cabezas

Casa de las Cabezas is a historic house in Córdoba, standing just a hundred meters from the Mosque-Cathedral, whose thousand-year story weaves together legend, religious history, and everyday urban life.

Where does the name Casa de las Cabezas come from?

The name of the house — literally "House of the Heads" — comes from a medieval legend about the Seven Princes of Lara. According to tradition, the building once formed part of the palace of Almanzor, the Muslim ruler who governed Córdoba toward the end of the 10th century. It was here, the story goes, that Gonzalo Gustioz, father of the seven young men of the Lara lineage executed on Almanzor's orders, was held captive. Legend holds that he was shown the severed heads of his sons, which were then hung along the seven arches of the neighboring alley still known today as "callejón de los arquillos" (the alley of the little arches). This dramatic, historically unverified episode gave the building its present name and made it one of the most recognizable sites tied to the legends of old Córdoba.

What is the house's connection to Sephardic Jewish history?

Beyond the legend, Casa de las Cabezas has a documented history linked to Córdoba's Jewish community. In the 15th century the building belonged to Juan de Córdoba, a converso — a Jew who had converted to Christianity. He was executed by the Inquisition on charges of secretly practicing Judaism, most likely because he was sheltering a clandestine synagogue inside his own home. That claim was only confirmed centuries later, when 21st-century restoration work uncovered a mikveh — a ritual purification bath used in Judaism — in the building's basement. The discovery is now one of the main reasons the house is regarded as a tangible witness to life in Córdoba's former judería, the city's historic Jewish quarter.

What happened to the house after its centuries of prominence?

The building's history between the 15th and 19th centuries is poorly documented. What is known is that by the 19th century, Casa de las Cabezas had become a typical "corrala" — a shared courtyard surrounded by dwellings, home to families migrating from the surrounding countryside into the city in search of work. This kind of use, common to many historic houses across Andalusia, meant the building spent decades serving a purely residential function, far removed from its earlier significance.

What does the house look like today, and can visitors go inside?

The turning point came in 2007, when the property was acquired by Manuel Ramos Gil. The extensive restoration carried out at that time uncovered the mikveh mentioned above and helped restore the building to a state closer to its original character. Since then, Casa de las Cabezas has operated as a museum open to visitors, presenting both the legend of the Princes of Lara and the documented Jewish history of the site. Thanks to its proximity to the Mosque-Cathedral, the house makes a convenient stop on any walking route through Córdoba's historic center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the house called Casa de las Cabezas? The name comes from the legend of the Seven Princes of Lara — tradition holds that it was here Gonzalo Gustioz was shown the severed heads of his sons, hung along the arches of the neighboring alley.

What was discovered during the building's restoration? Work carried out after 2007 uncovered a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, confirming that the house once concealed a hidden synagogue.

Who owned the house in the medieval period? In the 15th century the house belonged to Juan de Córdoba, a Jewish converso executed by the Inquisition for secretly practicing Judaism.

How far is it from the Mosque-Cathedral? Casa de las Cabezas sits about a hundred meters from the Mosque-Cathedral, right in the heart of historic Córdoba.