Huéscar is the geographical centre of the easternmost part of the province of Granada, a region of contrasting landscapes extending from the semi-desert around Orce to the snow-capped summits of the Sierra de la Sagra (also known as Sierra Seca). The town of Huéscar was founded in 1241 by the Order of St James, conquered by the Muslims in the early 14C, and then recaptured by Ferdinand the Catholic in 1488.