Sierra Suroeste

Prehistoric artifacts have been found in the municipalities of Jerez de los Caballeros, Higuera la Real, Valencia del Mombuey and Oliva de la Frontera. Two stone celtic idols were found in the hermitage of Nuestra Señora Virgen de Gracia in Oliva de la Frontera. Celtic fortifications have been excavated in Higuera. Various dolmens can still be seen throughout the area, the most notable being the Neolithic Piedra Pinchá in Valencia del Mombuey, and the dolmen del Toriñuelo in Jerez de los Caballeros.

During the Roman occupation, Sierra Suroeste belonged to several different political regions. First the comarca was a part of Hispania Ulterior, then later being split in two, with part belonging to the province of Lusitania and the other part to Hispania Baetica. The towns that existed during that period were known by different names:

• Jerez de los Caballeros: Fama Iulia Seria
• Oliva de la Frontera: Caesaróbriga
• Fregenal de la Sierra: Nertóbriga

Though other towns in the comarca, such as Salvaleón, claim to have origins during the Roman Empire, there exists no evidence to support these claims.

Jerez de los Caballeros is home to a number of mosaics, stone stairs, and the bridges of Pontón and Viejo, all of which date to early Roman construction. Oliva de la Frontera was a Roman copper-working center, as evidenced by the discovery of 250 metalworking ovens and the remains copper mines and excavated ores. Coins from the different periods of the Roman Empire have been found throughout the comarca.

A number of inscribed columns date back to the period of the Visigoth occupation of the Iberian peninsula. One such inscription, found in the church of Santa María de la Encarnación in Jerez de los Caballeros, dates to 25 December 556. Another, found near Oliva de la Frontera, is inscribed by Count Theudimer in the year 662 CE.

Other inscriptions from this period have also been found. A grave marker dating back to 514 was found on a farm near Alcobaza, and another dating back to 662 was found in a field by Valle de Matamoros. Additionally, latticework from the hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia is of Visigoth design.

There is evidence that the municipalities of Fregenal de la Sierra and Salvaleón were established during this time period.

The Moors introduced a number of technological improvements to the daily life of the area. Especially impacted were agricultural practices, such as plowing, wherein the Arabs introduced new methodologies that greatly improved upon the efficiency of existing Roman techniques.

Around the year 1230, Alfonso IX, King of León, conquered the area. Alfonso orchestrated a great massacre of Moors in the area now known as Valle de Matamoros (literally, "valley of killing Moors"). Ten years later, Alfonso led a military campaign through the province to assure its safety, before ceding control of the territory to the Knights Templar.

Church of San Bartolomé, in Jerez de los Caballeros

The territory experienced a great population boom and flourishing of local economies when the Knights Templar took control of the area. The Templar founded the municipality of Zahínos as a military fortification, and which was later expanded to become a castle, around which the town grew. In 1312 CE, Pope Clement V dissolved the Order of the Templar, and the Knights' lands and titles were transferred to the Spanish crown. The Knights mounted a resistance in Jerez de los Caballeros, and were summarily executed in the castle nearby. The tower in which their throats were slit is now known as the Torre Sangrienta (literally, the bleeding tower).

The various municipalities that today make up the comarca were then divided among a number of nobles. Oliva de la Frontera, Valencia del Mombuey, and Salvaleón belonged to the Duchy of Feria. Valle de Matamoro and Jerez de los Caballero fell under the control of the Order of Santiago. Fregenal de la Sierra and Higuera la Real became a part of Sevilla.

A number of well-known conquistadors came from Sierra Suroeste, such as Alonso Rodríguez Santos and Hernando de Soto. Perhaps the most famous of these was Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who was born in Jerez de los Caballeros, and who is best known for conquering Panamá and discovering the Pacific ocean.

Sierra Suroeste is one of the most productive jamón ibérico-producing regions of Spain, thanks in part to the abundance of black Iberian pigs in the area. The acorn-eating bovines share the fields with large numbers of horses, sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, mules, and chickens. Additionally, the forests are home to significant numbers of a variety of game animals, especially deer, wild boar, and foxes.

The European Union-designated Special Protection Area Dehesas de Jerez covers 480 km² and occupies approximately third of the comarca. More than thirty mated pairs of black storks make their nests in this area. In addition, numerous other storks roost in the belfries of various churches throughout the comarca.

The comarca is home to large quantities of holm oak and cork oak, two sources of cork and coal. Other common trees include olive trees, chestnut trees, and grape vines. Town plazas are usually decorated with palm and white mulberry trees, especially along the Paseo de las Palmeras in Oliva de la Frontera.

The holm oak forests of the area are some of the oldest and best established of all Extremadura, resulting in a variety of flora and fauna being able to develop in these areas. Hiking and sightseeing in these areas is a popular tourist activity, and there are many hiking paths and trails throughout the territory.

View of the old quarter of Jerez de los Caballeros.

Curing jamones ibéricos.

Due to the proximity to Huelva, and the comarca's natural abundance of black Iberian pigs, many pork products are produced and consumed in Sierra Suroeste. These products include, for example, chorizo, salchichón, blood sausages, loins and other cuts, and jamón ibérico.

Some typical dishes include chickpea stew, migas, pisto, caldereta, and bacalao "dorao". Also popular are dishes of nearby Portugal, which are made in a similar manner as across the border.