Olvera, Places of Interest
The main monument of this city is itself. A phrase that exemplifies this reality is “Olvera is a street, a church, and 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 Senora de la Encarnacion (the Parish of Our Lady of the
Incarnation), next to the
This church, in neoclassic style, was built by the orders of the Duke of Osuna in 1822 (which created a debt with the Olvera township by not investing the taxes in the improvement of the town) on the foundation of a small gothic-style (Andalusian Moorish) church (conserving and incorporating a small baptismal room), which, in turn, was built on the foundations of an Arabic mosque.
The work was finished in 1843, culminating in one of the greatest churches of the province, with sizes worthy of a cathedral. In 1936 republican revolutionaries burned some of the icons and images along with the interior during the Spanish Civil War. In the interior several frescoes, stained glass windows of great value, and images of the different phases of the death of Christ can be found, among them a Crucified Christ from the 16th century, discovered 15 years ago in the cellars of the building.
The Monastery of
Located 7 km from Olvera, it was constructed in 1542. For many years it was the seat of the old patron saint of the city, the Holy Virgin of Cano, an image kept by the local Franciscan Friars who inhabited the monastery.
In 1835 they were expelled, and the monastery was
confiscated and abandoned. After many years, when the building was all but
lost, the council of
The Moorish Wall
There exists seven buttresses that support the wall; demolition of some of the wall has emphasized the “Cilla,” which served as a jail and a ducal barn, among other uses. Today it is a tourist office and a municipal museum, comprised of four display rooms and a courtyard with a majestic view. In one of its rooms, we can find a permanent exhibition on “the Castles and Strengths of the Nazari Kingdoms.”
The Village District
Near these other buildings, in the “
The Sanctuary of Our
Lady of Los Remedios
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Remedies is 2 km from the town center. It was constructed in the 18th century, in Andalusian style, on the foundations of a small hermitage.
It venerates the patron of the locality, Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios, who is loved by the town of Olvera and many towns around, known collectively as “the hundred hills” (the 100 mountain ranges).
Unknown persons created an original statue to her memory during 16th century, which was restored 10 years ago. The head of the statue is in poor condition, as the galleries became infested with termites for more than a century; however, the best possible restoration has been applied to it. The Archbishop of Seville, Don Jose Maria Monreal Good, was crowned here in 1966.
The last restoration started in 1994 being closed to the
congregation until the conclusion of works at the end of 1999. At the moment
the greater
The
As it stands it was constructed at the end of the 12th century, mostly built during the 13th, on a strategic rock, giving the ability to communicate with other nearby castles through signals (e.g., with light-reflecting mirrors). Its structure was deliberately created to disadvantage enemies to the maximum.
The
The plaza, also called “La Alameda” (tree-lined area), is one of the places we must not forget to visit, where there is a majestic stone fountain/waterfall that was constructed in 2004. Above this is the Rock of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a great rock garden full of ivy, flowers, birds, and animals. The reason for its name is the Christ statue, with arms raised, on the highest part of the rock carved by Jose Navas Even in 1929.