Information about Olvera, Cadiz
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Olvera is a city located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 8,585 inhabitants.
The start of the "Pueblo Blancos Route", the city of Olvera is located in the province of Cadiz, specifically in the northwest of the serranía gaditana area, near the borders of the provinces of Seville and Malaga.
The distance between the capital and the Olvera is 139 km,. The number of inhabitants, according to the INE of 2005, is 8,585 inhabitants.
Their environs are full of hills covered with olive trees, from which is extracted one of best olive oils in Andalusia.
Within the municipality is a large colony of Andalusian leonado Vultures in the natural reserve of the "Peñon de Zaframagón", a rock located to the northwest of the town centre at a distance of approximately 14 km. Although olive groves have great importance to the economy, a larger economic source of this colourful place, is the cooperative and the prize "Arco Iris" of 1989 was won , thanks to being the town with the greatest number of cooperatives per inhabitant.
In this area, specifically in the mountain range of Sierra de Lijar, were found numerous Roman camps/remains in the summer of 1986. The archaeologist Lorenzo Perdigones compiled a report to show the existence of a Roman establishment in the area, dated, at the end of 3rd century B.C. Also the foundations of the city castle are Roman, found by removing some of the rock of its environs.
But the only demonstrably reliable origin is the Muslim establishment in the mid 12th Century to year 1327, the year in which king Alfonso XI wrested it from the Arabs The village was repopulated through a decree issued on the 1 August 1327, in which all criminals had to remain a year within the border of Nazarí. This new acquisition for the King of Castilla was named Olivera to commemorate the sea of olive trees that surround it. With time, the "i" was phonetically lost giving rise to the present name.
Two stately houses had the dominion over Olvera, the last of which was the Duke of Osuña, who was the feudal lord until 1843, when the family went bankrupt.
In 1877 king Alfonso XII granted to the villa the title of “City”, in gratefulness to certain horses that sped him the town of Olvera for one of the Carlist wars. The most recent historic event in Olvera was when it was declared “A Protected Area of Artistic and Historical Importance” in 1983.
It is a very popular market, visited by tourists worldwide, who have made the name Olvera a well known word.
Nowadays it largely survives through family cooperatives, on agriculture and the construction industry at the coast.
Monuments of interest
The main monument of this city is itself. A phrase that exemplifies this reality is "OLVERA is a street, a churchand a castle, BUT what a street, what a church and what a castle!", for that reason Olvera was declared “A Protected Area of Artistic and Historical Importance” in 1983.
The Church
Dominating the area, like the top of a pyramid, is Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (the Parish of Our Lady of the Incarnation) next to the Arabic Castle. This church, in neoclassic style, was built by the orders of the Duke of Osuña in 1822. The work was finished in 1843, culminating in one of the greatest churches of the province, with dimensions worthy of cathedral. At the moment the great church of Olvera is again closed, due to a fire lasting 15 hours of an image/statue in September of 2004, leaving the sacred place in lamentable condition. It is hoped that the necessary money will soon be obtained to reopen the church.
The Arab castle
as it stands was constructed at the end of 12th century, mostly in the 13th, on a strategic rock, giving the ability to communicate with other nearby castles through signals (e.g. reflecting light with mirrors). Its structure was created deliberately to disadvantage enemy to the maximum.
The Moorish Wall
There exists seven buttresses that support the wall, demolishen of some of the wall has emphasized the "Cilla", which served as a jail and a ducal barn, amongst other uses. Today it is a tourist office and a municipal museum, comprising four display rooms and a patio with a majestic view. In one of its rooms, we can find a permanent exhibition on "the Castles and Strengths of the Nazarí Kingdoms".
La Villa District
Near these other buildings, in the “Casco Antigüo” (the ancient town center) within the old town walls is la villa (the village). To walk its streets is to travel 700 years back, to when an older Olvera existed. This was where the Visigoth town called Wubira existed. The towns origins are evident here, (narrow streets, strategic corners, old cottages, etc.), exposing the visitor to the old architecture of the Muslim town entwined with the modern.
The start of the "Pueblo Blancos Route", the city of Olvera is located in the province of Cadiz, specifically in the northwest of the serranía gaditana area, near the borders of the provinces of Seville and Malaga.
The distance between the capital and the Olvera is 139 km,. The number of inhabitants, according to the INE of 2005, is 8,585 inhabitants.
Their environs are full of hills covered with olive trees, from which is extracted one of best olive oils in Andalusia.
Within the municipality is a large colony of Andalusian leonado Vultures in the natural reserve of the "Peñon de Zaframagón", a rock located to the northwest of the town centre at a distance of approximately 14 km. Although olive groves have great importance to the economy, a larger economic source of this colourful place, is the cooperative and the prize "Arco Iris" of 1989 was won , thanks to being the town with the greatest number of cooperatives per inhabitant.
In this area, specifically in the mountain range of Sierra de Lijar, were found numerous Roman camps/remains in the summer of 1986. The archaeologist Lorenzo Perdigones compiled a report to show the existence of a Roman establishment in the area, dated, at the end of 3rd century B.C. Also the foundations of the city castle are Roman, found by removing some of the rock of its environs.
But the only demonstrably reliable origin is the Muslim establishment in the mid 12th Century to year 1327, the year in which king Alfonso XI wrested it from the Arabs The village was repopulated through a decree issued on the 1 August 1327, in which all criminals had to remain a year within the border of Nazarí. This new acquisition for the King of Castilla was named Olivera to commemorate the sea of olive trees that surround it. With time, the "i" was phonetically lost giving rise to the present name.
Two stately houses had the dominion over Olvera, the last of which was the Duke of Osuña, who was the feudal lord until 1843, when the family went bankrupt.
In 1877 king Alfonso XII granted to the villa the title of “City”, in gratefulness to certain horses that sped him the town of Olvera for one of the Carlist wars. The most recent historic event in Olvera was when it was declared “A Protected Area of Artistic and Historical Importance” in 1983.
It is a very popular market, visited by tourists worldwide, who have made the name Olvera a well known word.
Nowadays it largely survives through family cooperatives, on agriculture and the construction industry at the coast.
Monuments of interest
The main monument of this city is itself. A phrase that exemplifies this reality is "OLVERA is a street, a churchand a castle, BUT what a street, what a church and what a castle!", for that reason Olvera was declared “A Protected Area of Artistic and Historical Importance” in 1983.
The Church
Dominating the area, like the top of a pyramid, is Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (the Parish of Our Lady of the Incarnation) next to the Arabic Castle. This church, in neoclassic style, was built by the orders of the Duke of Osuña in 1822. The work was finished in 1843, culminating in one of the greatest churches of the province, with dimensions worthy of cathedral. At the moment the great church of Olvera is again closed, due to a fire lasting 15 hours of an image/statue in September of 2004, leaving the sacred place in lamentable condition. It is hoped that the necessary money will soon be obtained to reopen the church.
The Arab castle
as it stands was constructed at the end of 12th century, mostly in the 13th, on a strategic rock, giving the ability to communicate with other nearby castles through signals (e.g. reflecting light with mirrors). Its structure was created deliberately to disadvantage enemy to the maximum.
The Moorish Wall
There exists seven buttresses that support the wall, demolishen of some of the wall has emphasized the "Cilla", which served as a jail and a ducal barn, amongst other uses. Today it is a tourist office and a municipal museum, comprising four display rooms and a patio with a majestic view. In one of its rooms, we can find a permanent exhibition on "the Castles and Strengths of the Nazarí Kingdoms".
La Villa District
Near these other buildings, in the “Casco Antigüo” (the ancient town center) within the old town walls is la villa (the village). To walk its streets is to travel 700 years back, to when an older Olvera existed. This was where the Visigoth town called Wubira existed. The towns origins are evident here, (narrow streets, strategic corners, old cottages, etc.), exposing the visitor to the old architecture of the Muslim town entwined with the modern.
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