The town was first mentioned in the year 1396 owing to a petition made by Pedro Tenorio, archbishop of Toledo, to King Henry III of Castile.

Before this date, the town was called La Moraleja, adjacent to Iznatoraf and towards the beginning of the 13th century formed part of the conquered territory of Cazorla.

The urban nucleus of Villanueva del Arzobispo is situated next to the mountain of Albercones, to the west, at a crossroads.

The towns development basically radiated from the centre to the north-east and south-east, following the line marked by the highway 322 and by the way to the park.

With a distinctive artistic history various buildings, places of great ecological importance and enclaves with a rich heritage include: Agriculture is dominated by the olive.