Olivenza, Olivença in Portuguese, with about 12,000 inhabitants, is a town in the province of Badajoz, in Extremadura, near the Guadiana river, which marks the border with Portugal. It is unique in Spain: for over five centuries it was Portuguese, and its architecture, churches and even street names show it.
History
Founded by the Templars in the 13th century, Olivenza passed to Portugal under the Treaty of Alcañices in 1297. In 1801, during the brief War of the Oranges, it was occupied by Manuel Godoy's Spanish troops and annexed to Spain by the Treaty of Badajoz. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 called on Spain to return it, which never happened: Portugal has therefore never officially recognised Spanish sovereignty, though the issue today causes no tension. Since 2014 residents can also apply for Portuguese citizenship, and many have obtained it.
What to see
- The castle, with its keep, about 36 metres high, one of the tallest on the peninsula, with internal ramps that could be climbed on horseback.
- The church of Santa María Magdalena, a masterpiece of the Manueline style, 16th-century Portuguese Gothic, with spiral columns like twisted ropes.
- The church of Santa María del Castillo, with its painted Tree of Jesse.
- The Santa Casa de Misericordia, its walls covered in 18th-century Portuguese azulejos.
- The 17th-century walls and bastions, with the Manueline Puerta del Calvario.
- The González Santana Ethnographic Museum, one of Extremadura's most important.
- The remains of the Ajuda bridge over the Guadiana, destroyed in 1709.
Food and festivals
The cuisine blends Spain and Portugal: bacalao dorado, Iberian ham, migas and the sweet técula mécula, made with almonds, egg yolks and lard, born of convent tradition. The main festivals are the Feria de San Juan, in June, and carnival.
Getting there
Olivenza is about 25 km from Badajoz, linked by bus. The Portuguese town of Elvas is about 25 km away, across the new bridge over the Guadiana.