CR Adventures 150423: Olvera - History Explored

At the tip of the "White towns route", the city of Olvera is in the province of Cadiz, in the northwest of the Serranía Gaditana area, near the borders of the provinces of Seville and Malaga, on 36º56' north and 5º16' west, at a height of 643 metres (2,110 ft) above sea level and has a land surface of 194 km2 (75 sq mi).
The distance between the capital and the Olvera is 139 km (86 mi). The number of inhabitants, according to the INE of 2021, is 8,016, although the number of "Olvereños" is possibly greater as migration to the coast (specifically to the Costa de la Luz) in search of employment where individuals decided to change their address to their place of work.
The hills surrounding Olvera are full of olive groves that are said to provide the best extraction of olive oils in Andalusia.
In fact, the town is said to be surrounded by over 2 million olive trees.
In recent years it has received the award of the "Denominación de Origen de la Sierra de Cádiz", which is a standard that is recognised by participants including nearby towns of Setenil, Algodonales, Alcalá del Valle, Torre Alháquime etc. While olive groves are of great importance to the economy, the largest economic source of this colourful town is the "cooperative" and the prize "Arco Iris" of 1989 was won due to the town having the greatest number of cooperatives per inhabitant.
Of great interest within the municipality is a large colony of Andalusian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) to be found within the natural reserve of the "Peñon de Zaframagón", a huge rock outcrop that is located 14 km to the northwest of the town centre.

The Moorish Castle Of Olvera
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The castle looks like a castle should, built on the highest point of Olvera's sheer cliffs with towers and turrets overlooking the town.

It was built at the end of the 12th century and was part of an elaborate communication system of watchtowers and castles that protected the westernmost part of the Muslim kingdom. Its location was perfect between the great fortresses of Seville and Ronda.

You will find the entrance to the castle just on the other side of the Plaza de la Iglesia , but keep in mind that it is just a small door that is easily missed.

Before entering, you must go to the Tourist Office (at the corner of the church square) and pay the entrance fee of 2.00 euros . Once inside, you can explore the entire castle on your own.

The highest point is inside the tower, at the top. Take the spiral staircase up to the roof terrace, where the views from the top are definitely worth it.

The Church Of Our Lady Of The Incarnation In Olvera
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The Iglesia de la Encarnación looks like something you would see in one of the largest cities in Spain, like Madrid or Barcelona, ​​and not in a small town surrounded by countryside for miles and miles. But here it is... and it's glorious!

It is a neoclassical-style church built in 1841 on the site of a Gothic-style church and before a mosque.

Rock Of The Sacred Heart
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Leaving the area of ​​"La Villa" and going down towards the town you will find the Rock of the Sacred Heart in the middle of the street on your right.

If you're up for another climb, start up the stairway at the Plaza de Andalucía end . El Peñón is a hanging garden that has been a local meeting point for centuries. Stairs meander in every direction, covered in ivy and lined with lush plants and flowers, all the way to the top.
Once you have reached the small terrace at the top, you will find the statue of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus" and a beautiful view towards the church and the castle. This is the perfect place to take a photo of Olvera from a distance.

History
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There is a lack of specific data and studies into the true origin of the town. This means it is of conjecture to historians, some thinking that the present city was an establishment named Caricus, about the time of the Celts. Professor Ramos Santana posits that the legendary Cenosia, the original name of Olvera, located near the present city centre, was known as Vallehermoso (beautiful valley), existing at the time of the Visigoths.

In this area of the mountain range of Sierra de Lijar are numerous Roman camps and remains. The archaeologist Lorenzo Perdigones' report (1986) shows the existence of a Roman establishment in the area, dated the end of 3rd century B.C. Indeed, the foundations of the city castle were found to be Roman, during the removal of some of the rubble. The original name of Olvera could be "Ilipa", (established by geographically adjusting in a map of Roman Spain, published in 1879, between Morón and Ronda). Hippa and Hippo Nova are likely names of the original village.

But the first demonstrably reliable origin of Olvera is within Muslim documentation, in the mid 12th Century, when it is chronicled as an outpost in the mountains called "WUBIRA" or "URIWILA" (year 1327) when king Alfonso XI wrested it from the Arabs. As part of the Christian conquest plans emanating from Seville, Olvera formed part of the advance strategy towards the Straits of Gibraltar to prevent the reinsurgence of Muslims. In one first expedition the Christians lost the banner of Seville that flew in Olvera castle. After the negotiations that followed the surrender of the town, Ibrahim-ibn-Utmain secured concessions, in respect of the Moors of Olvera, that each one of the inhabitants could keep their houses and goods.

The village was repopulated through a decree, a 'Letter of Population', issued on the 1 of August 1327, in which all criminals and debtors could, and had to, remain a year within the borders of Nazarí (Granada province?) in order that their debt to society be removed. 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.

In the middle of the 14th century the town passed to Don Alfonso Perez de Guzman. It is known that in 1395 Perez de Guzman arranged the marriage of his daughter with the son of the Muslim, Zunigaga.

Olvera was host to a detachment of Napoleonic troops, who were constantly harassed by the activities of guerrillas from the town until the French retreated in 1812.

Subsequently, two stately houses had the dominion over Olvera, the last of which was Tellez Giron and the Dukes of Osuna. The later was the feudal lord until 1843, when the family went bankrupt.

Some of the advances and episodes of great importance in Spanish history during the 19th century were echoed in Olvera, for instance the revolution of September 1868, (known as 'The Glorious One'), when (after a brief period as a Republic) the Monarchy granted Olvera, by Royal Decree on 8 May 1877, the title of "City" by Alfonso XII, in gratitude for certain horses that sped him from the town of Olvera to one of the Carlist wars.

The years of the dictatorship of Franco provided opportunities for the Olvereños, who benefited from the building of the Jerez-Almargen railroad which terminated within the municipality. The project was never finished. This is now a well known "Via Verde" - a nature walk of some 40 km.

In 1983 Olvera was declared “A Protected Area of Artistic and Historical Importance”.

At the present time, Olvera is dedicated to agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, activities that are complemented by the tourist activities and the cooperatives.starting in Olvera and reaching Puerto Serrano.

Nicholas de Ribera, El Viejo, 'the old one', was born in Olvera in 1487 and took part in the conquest of Peru. In 1535 he was named the first mayor of Lima.