Map - Olivares, Spain (Olivares)

Olivares is a city located in the Province of Seville, Spain. According to the 2016 census (INE), the city has a population of 9480 inhabitants. It is located in the Aljarafe, the comarca downstream of the Guadalquivir and west of Seville. It borders Albaida to the west, Gerena to the north, Salteras to the east, and Sanlúcar la Mayor and Villanueva del Ariscal to the south. After the establishment of the House of Olivares, it grew in size and influence, becoming an important urban center in the Aljarafe.

Olivares is located in the region of Tartessos, one of the oldest documented cultures in Europe. Several Bronze and Iron Age tells are found in the area, such as the Cerro de las Cabezas, which is thought to correspond to the ancient city of Laelia mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy. These settlements lay on the Guadiamar (the Roman Menoba), which may have been navigable during ancient times according to Pliny. Thus, cities such as Laelia and Lastigi probably acted as port cities or trade posts. During Roman times, the region was connected to the main aqueduct that brought water from Tejada to Itálica.

The village of Olivares was founded as a small alquería on the Repudio, a brook that carries rainwater to the Guadalquivir. This village was known as Estercolinas or Estercolines, perhaps from an older Latin name, Turculina. This was later known as villa de olivares (town of olive fields), whence its name. Olive trees have been grown in this area for centuries and represent one of the main sources of income in the area, apart from other crops, mainly cereals. Over time, Olivares grew in size, becoming bigger than the nearby town of Albaida. The nearby town of Heliche became depopulated in the early 19th century and was dismantled in 1843. Its inhabitants moved to Olivares, while the building materials of its church (Iglesia de San Benito) were used to build the cemetery in Olivares (Cementerio de San Benito).

The city is known for the House of Olivares, founded by Pedro Pérez de Guzmán in 1535. At the time, its population was approximately 240, of which 67 paid taxes. In 1625, Gaspar de Guzmán became the first Count-Duke of Olivares, i.e. Count of Olivares and Duke of Sanlúcar. The noble family later merged with the House of Alba, which inherited all of its lands, before selling part of these in the first half of the 19th century. The Duchess of Alba still owns La Pizana, a cortijo between Olivares and Gerena.

By 1751, Olivares had over 1,600 inhabitants, which grew to 1,950 by 1801 and reached 2,943 by 1888. The city had only 12 streets and one square in 1781, a small number compared to the 150 streets it had in the 21st century. In 1998, a chemical spill from the nearby Mina de los Frailes, in Aznalcóllar, caused an environmental disaster in the Guadiamar river. This led to the creation of a wildlife corridor that runs from Gerena to Aznalcázar, the Corredor Verde del Guadiamar.