Holiday apartment in Olivares – culture, history and historic routes

Olivares takes visitors along the town’s architectural monuments with the Ruta del Conde Duque, conveying the municipality’s historical and cultural heritage along the way. Information on reserving a guided visit is available for this route. An app complements the tour with maps, audio guides, video guides, virtual tours and depictions of the period in augmented reality. In addition, the Ruta del Conde Duque offers three virtual tours that can be accessed via a smartphone or PC.

Culture

The Colegiata de Olivares is a Baroque church from the 17th century. It houses movable cultural heritage by artists such as María and Luisa Roldán, Ruiz Gijón, Montes de Oca, José de Escobar, Bernardo de Cabrera and Matías de Brunenque. The painter Juan de Roelas, regarded as a pioneer of Naturalism in the Sevillian school, is buried in the crypt of the abbots.

The historic church complex also includes the chapel of the Hermandad de la Santa Vera-Cruz. It was built in the second half of the 16th century as the chapel of the former Hospital de la Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Inside is an anonymous 16th-century crucifix. The main altar comes from the former Franciscan monastery founded by the counts of Olivares in Castilleja de la Cuesta.

The Casa Hermandad-Museo de la Santa Vera Cruz displays Olivares’ Holy Week heritage, including goldsmith’s work, various embroideries, brotherhood insignia and liturgical objects. It also features liturgical and ceremonial elements of the brotherhood throughout the year. The chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores has its own dome and is decorated with murals and numerous votive offerings; it was therefore known as the “Chapel of Miracles.” It is one of the two freestanding chapels of the Colegiata.

Another sacred exhibition venue is the Museo Hermandad de la Soledad. It contains an exhibition room with religious furnishings and objects of worship. The museum also preserves a polychrome image of the reclining Christ in the Late Gothic style, dating from the first half of the 15th century. This Late Gothic image is considered one of the few surviving examples of its kind in Andalusia.

History

The Palacio del Conde Duque de Olivares was built in the first half of the 16th century by Don Pedro de Guzmán y Zúñiga, the first Count of Olivares. In the 17th century, his grandson Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, the Conde Duque de Olivares, expanded it. The Renaissance façade is 62 metres long and has a symmetrical design. The Salón Alfarje Grande contains a permanent exhibition of Baroque costumes made by Gaspar de Guzmán’s workshop.

The Torre de San Antonio is an example of Almohad military architecture and was probably built in the 12th century AD. Loopholes are preserved on all sides of the second floor. The Pósito o Alfolí was a grain store for supplies kept in reserve during years of scarcity. Its second building section preserves intersecting arches supporting small domes. A covered, tunnel-like street connects the Pósito o Alfolí with the Colegiata; it is called El Camarín.

Nature

The protected landscape of Corredor Verde del Guadiamar forms part of the area’s landscape context. It includes Olivares and covers an area of 2,706.8 hectares.

Tradition

In Olivares, it is traditional to celebrate Saint Blaise’s Day with a mass dedicated to him. The religious celebration dates back to the veneration of the saint promoted by Gaspar de Guzmán, the Conde Duque de Olivares, and his wife. The San Blas celebration has a history of more than 400 years. For the occasion, local bakeries make bread, roscos picados and bread-dough doves.

If you are considering a holiday apartment in Olivares, you can view or compare different options on the respective listing pages. The included services, price components, and booking and cancellation conditions stated there are also relevant. Directly comparing these fields helps keep the decision focused on the specific details of each offer.

Other places

Other location pages: Villanueva Del Ariscal, Aguadulce, Alcolea Del Río, La Campana, La Luisiana, El Cuervo De Sevilla, Valdezorras, Palomares Del Rio.

To the higher-level travel overview: Seville.