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Condition: In recent years various restoration projects have been developed that have recovered the original structure that was heavily damaged, both by its abandonment as for the unfortunate use that was given to it as local cemetery during the nineteenth century. Actual use: At present its use is purely contemplative. Architectural sheet:
The floorplan of the castle is elliptical, stretched, in west-southeast direction, with approximate dimensions of 120 meters long by 32 wide and is composed of 10 wallfronts that are united by the same number of towers. In the largest tower is the main entrance, bended and oriented to the east. Of the ten towers, six are square or rectangular with stone reinforcements at the corners, and the other four are semicylindric standing out like buttresses, three of them being the only defenses of the western flank.
The stonework consists of a double rig of stone masonry, of different sizes and irregular shapes, with an interior and exterior parament united by a core of earth filling, lime and smaller stones, reaching a width of 2.30 meters. With rectangular bastions and spun with double decorative wallfronts. The vaults are barrelshaped, pointed and mixed edges , all built of brick, like the abundant loopholes. The flat top of the wall is at an average height of 4.80 meters above the current ground level and 2.10 meters wide, with a defensive parapet of 60-65 centimeters thick, reinforced with coping merlons and open loopholes both in the parapets and in the merlones themselves . There are Arabic elements in some parts of the construction, as is its main entrance with a door in a simple bend in the standing out tower and the existence of imposts or ornamental strips separating floors in brick, decoration on walls imitating ashlar rigging and the presence of boulders at the base of the tower entrance. However, clearly it has the presence of characteristics of Christian buildings, such as the ogival arch at the main entrance and the overall design of the building, flanked abundantly by towers with the presence of semicircular cubes that are combined with square towers. All this allows to classify this as a Gothic Mudéjar castle in the Almohad tradition (Valor, 1998). Historical sheet: In the Early Middle Ages we find the first known written references to the village. Around the middle of the twelfth century, Sancho II of Portugal undertakes, with the support of military Orders, the Christian conquest of La Sierra. Fernando III el Santo advances on the right bank of the Guadalquivir and clashes with the Portuguese crown over the ownership of these lands, considered by the Castilian monarchs part of its jurisdiction.
The Treaty of Badajoz in 1267 and the one of Alcañices in 1297 recognized the Castilian domination and the conquered land east of the Guadiana came to depend on the Concejo de Sevilla. During this period, in the year of 1253, Alfonso X el Sabio delivers the strength to the council of Seville, and which is later taken over by his son Sancho IV. The first historical document that refers to the existence of Santa Olalla is a privilege of King Sancho IV, given in Toro on November 4of 1293. It speaks clearly of an agreement of the council of the city of Seville to build castles in Cumbres and Santa Olalla, because with the other 'Castles and others fortresses in the Sierra' this land could be guarded well. After the conquest and the construction of the fortress, the process of repopulation of these 'strongholds' begins. This was easy because the castles offer a security that facilitated the articulation of the territory by concentration of the poor and dispersed villages, encouraging the consolidation of many other nuclei under the shelter of military buildings, as was the case in Santa Olalla de Cala. As mentioned earlier, in the thirteenth century the Christian conquest by the Castilian army was moving towards Lower Andalusia and Seville. The area that had been in the frontline of the war between Christians and Muslims over the centuries that preceded his reconquest, maintained its character as such, now between the Kingdoms of Seville and Portugal, virtually until the eighteenth century, when the conflicts between the two main peninsular kingdoms is finally stabilizing. It was a 'difficult area to determine the boundaries because of lack of natural accents in the landscape' as quoted by Toronjo Torres, M. At the end of the seventeenth century, Santa Olalla was sold by the Crown to Don Juan Ventura Tirado, on his turn taking the power to dispense justice in the territories that were under his authority. As well as the authorization to freely appoint the authorities who were responsible for justice. The method used for this purpose was to force the obligation to pay taxes to the Royal Treasury with the territories previously sold. This led to numerous clashes with the council, and it was not until 1752 when the conflict was resolved. As many of the strengths of the Banda Gallega, the War of Independence against the French resulted in major damage to the defense and a considerable decrease in population. Its privileged place in the mountains converted this village into the headquarters of the Marine Artillery, 'forced to leave the sea, ships and arsenals to fight in the Sierra'. On the other side, the city was not only developed by creating a fortress. Since ancient times the origins of man's presence has been linked to Santa Olalla del Cala, thanks to the forced passage of the metals extracted in the many mining enclaves of their surroundings, with human settlements dating from the Bronze Age, some three millennia ago. With the Roman domination, the mining and commercial traffic increased consolidated the traffic for these sites, covering a large stretch of the Ruta de la Plata halfway to the relevant cores of Italica or Seville and Augusta Emerita or Mérida . Today, Santa Olalla is an enterprising village with a promising future based on the industry of the pork butchers', the extraction of granite and rural tourism. Arts and Culture:
Cultural Events: On its holiday calendar the Carnival stands out, with groups, parades, tastings and concluding with the "burial of the ham bone".
Resurrection Sunday is the day of the pilgrimage to the shrine of Santa Eulalia. At the end of August the festival is taking place, highlighting events such as the bull of fire, dancing, and different celebrations with bulls.. |
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The fortress is located on what is known as the Castle Hill, northwest of the town and dominating it from its highest point, with an average altitude of 540 meters. Its construction is following the topography of the land, in ground and first floor, even including the same rock as part of the morphology of the castle, since it is the supporting base and foundation of all its towers and walls, as well as serving as quarry for the extraction of the stone used in the building.
This greatly upset the local municipality, creating social unrest among the residents. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, there was a backlash by the council of Seville in the creation of these territories with their own legal freedoms. Specifically, in 1711, arrangements are made that these lands pass back to the hands of the Crown.
The Holy Week has abundant acts, among them the moving of the Christ of BuenaMuerte (Good Death)and the procession of the Christ of the real Cross (early morning of Holy Thursday).