Olvera

Olvera is a town located in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2005 census, the city has a population of 8,585 inhabitants.

Overview

At the tip of the "White towns route", the city of Olvera is located 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 meters above sea level and has a land surface of 194 km².

The distance between the capital and the Olvera is 139 km,. The number of inhabitants, according to the INE of 2005, is 8,585, 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 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, Algonodales, Alcalá del Valle, Torre Al-Haquime 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.

Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes (/sərˈvɒnteɪz/ or /sərˈvæntiːz/;Spanish: [miˈɣel de θerˈbantes saˈβeðɾa]; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616), was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright.

His major work, Don Quixote, considered to be the first modern European novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). He was dubbed El Príncipe de los Ingenios ("The Prince of Wits").

In 1569, Cervantes moved to Rome, where he worked as chamber assistant of a cardinal. He then enlisted as a soldier in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment and continued his military life until 1575, when he was captured by Barbary pirates. After five years of captivity, he was released by his captors on payment of a ransom by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order, and he subsequently returned to his family in Madrid.