The story
Welcome to one of the most atmospheric and storied corners of Córdoba. You are standing on Calle Cabezas, the Street of the Heads, located just a stone's throw from the great Mosque-Cathedral. As you look down this narrow, winding passage, you’ll notice the quintessential white-washed walls and the uneven cobblestones that define the city's ancient soul.
Nearby, the Arco del Portillo stands as a silent sentinel—a fourteenth-century archway that once served as a gate in the inner wall, connecting the upper city with the riverfront districts. While this area is beautiful today, its name carries a weight of tragedy that dates back over a thousand years to the era of the Caliphate. The legend of the Seven Infantes of Lara is one of the most famous and bloody epics in Spanish history.
It tells of a bitter family feud in Castile, where seven brothers were betrayed by their own uncle, Ruy Velázquez. He orchestrated an ambush by Moorish forces, and the young brothers were captured and executed. Their severed heads were brought here, to the heart of Al-Andalus, as a trophy for the great vizier Almanzor.
At the time, the father of the seven boys, Gonzalo Gustioz, was being held prisoner in a house right here on this very street. In a display of calculated psychological cruelty, Almanzor invited the father to a banquet. When the servant lifted the covers from seven platters, Gonzalo was confronted with the sight of his sons' faces.
To mark the victory and the shame of the family, the seven heads were reportedly hung from a wooden beam spanning the narrowest part of this alley—one for each brother. If you look closely at the walls of the houses today, you can find small stone niches or markings that local tradition says represent the spots where those heads were displayed. As you walk toward the Arco del Portillo, consider the layers of history beneath your feet.
This arch was a vital transit point for centuries, witnessing the shift from Islamic rule to the Christian Reconquest. The house where the father was imprisoned, known as the Casa de las Cabezas, still stands, preserving the medieval layout of a grand Córdoba residence with its beautiful courtyards and dark cellars. Take a moment to soak in the silence of the street.
In the midday heat or the cool of the evening, it is easy to imagine the shadows of the past flickering against these stones. This is a place where history and myth are inseparable. Once you pass through the Arco del Portillo, the city opens up again, but for now, stay here in the narrow grip of the Street of the Heads, where every stone has a story to tell.