Historical Summary Oliva and its territory constitute, since old times, a place of setting for the different people that have settled in the Mediterranean  through the years. Iberians, Romans, Muslims and Christians have lived here and  have left their mark everywhere: very important archaeological ruins, the  famous irrigation channel network, the ruins of the castle, the urban  typology... The history of Oliva is full of events and personages that talk by themselves about a past that must not be forgotten. The Christian conquest  brought here the first lords, the Carrs legendary family, that would successively end in the Riusec family, the Centelles or the Borjas.With the Centelles, and around a wonderful Renaissance palace (today disappeared), Oliva  knew the glory of the county that was created in 1448. A great part of the merit belonged to the cultivation of sugarcane. It was the motor of an economy  that ran very well thanks to the decisive help of the Muslim workers. The moriscs were expelled in the year 1609. Because of this expulsion the  Valencian lands and towns remained deserted. Although Oliva was not one of the most damaged towns, they were hard times for it. In the 18 th. century, together with the rest of the disappeared Valencia Kingdom, Oliva began its recovery which had its peak not only in the economic aspect but also in the cultural one. The erudite from Oliva, Gregorio Mayans, became a key figure in  the cultural world of that period. From his home town he developed an intellectual activity in contact with his Spanish and European colleagues,  that even nowadays awakes our admiration because of the productivity and the high standards they achieved in their work. Gregori Mayans nephew Gabriel Ciscar Admiral of the Navy and Regent of Spain, lived the troubled events of  the change of century, with the proclamation of the first constitution and the independence war, with a death sentence he could escape thanks to the help of his friend the Duke of Wellington. Without the extinct dukedom of the Borjas and without its illustrious sons, Oliva faced the contemporary era with the challenge of replacing the old sugar cane by other cultivation that could reactivate the local economy. So, in the  middle of the 19 th century and at the end of the same, we find the development  of the white mulberry and the silk industry. When this possibility was left,  the rice and the orange relieved. The rice farming lasted until the 1960s, but  the orange cultivation has made Oliva one of the first towns among the  producers of citrus fruits in the Land of Valencia. It has become the base of  Oliva economic activity. The industry and the tourism are now at the right time  to promote a diversification according to the European trend.

Gregori Mayans'  home Sta Maria la  Major's  Belfry A walk through the Christian "Vila" The plaa de l'Ajuntament (Town Hall Square) presents many  peculiar buildings. It also holds a Monument to Gabriel Ciscar in its centre. From there, one can see the C. Major (Main Street), and visit there the  eighteenth-century Casa de Mayans (Mayans' home, and the old inn, today restored  and used as the "Casa de la Cultura" (Cultural Center). Taking the C. Gmez Ferrer, that starts from the Plaa de l'Ajuntament, turn right at the first street, and you'll find yourself at C. Enginy and Enginy's "atzucac" (dead-end). There one can find the set of arches of the building where during the sixteenth century sugar cane was milled. At Plaza la Bassa  (Bassa Sq.) the main ditch that brought water to the mill enlarges. Today it is  covered by C. Moreres (Moreres Str). C. Mare de Deu del Pilar leads to C. Tamarit, street that shows many noble houses dating from seventeenth to  nineteenth centuries. At Plaza d'Espanya one finds the Church of Sta. Maria la Major. Its present structure dates from eighteenth century. The Church shelters a Museum. Next to it C. Mare Maria Gallart, a sloping stairway with a peculiar design, takes us to C. Moreres. This is a two level street and one of the most  singular in Oliva; noble houses and the Church's butress, a beautiful arch, are  found there. From Plaza Alonso, one can see "El Portal de la Mare de Du", once a gate to the city, and through which one gets to C. Esglesia. At C.  Abadia one finds the Casa Abadia (Abbey House) of Mudejar origin and at the end  of it one of the old city wall's towers. Our guided tour ends at C. St. Cristfol, where eighteenth century houses can be admired.

St. Roc Church La Hoz Street A walk through the "Raval Morisc" St. Roc's square is the centre of the "Raval", a part of the city populated by "moriscs" (moors) until 1609. The Church's present settlement is placed where the old mosque and minaret stood. Leaning against the Church, one finds the Fossar's arch: the entry to  the Christian Cemetery. The sloping C. Sta Llcia has, in its first section, houses on only one side. Therefore, one can take a general look of the Plaza St Roc from above. At the edge of C. St Sebasti one can see Fossar's Arch and  then continue through C. Divina Gracia until C. St Isidre. From C. St. Isidre it  is worth while to take a look to C. La Hoz. This L-shaped sloping street is one of the most peculiar in Oliva due to its modest houses built on the rock during  the sixteenth century. Going back to C. St Isidre one gets to Pou d'Alzina.  It shows a hilly muslin design with widening at different levels in order to provide entrance to the houses. One can also see the well that gives name to the street. Going down C. Francesc Gisbert one gets to C. Barranc, noticing on the way a narrow street, L'Estora, which is on the right. Once in Barranc Street, take a right until C. St Vicent. The interest of this street lays on the  gate of the city, which holds a hermitage, its traditional structured houses  -ground floor, first floor and "cambra" (attic)- and its two levels. Going  across C. Barranc one can reach C. Les Tendes, street with a significant  narrowing where once the gate of the city's walled core stood. Today it leads to Placa Alonso, the end of this walk through the "Raval".

Calvari Chapels Out of the City Wall It seems that Oliva has been a nice place to live in ever since  Paleolithic times; there has been a continuous flow of cultures and settlements  in it. This Mediterranean city lived and participated in the Greek and Roman world  and the Moor civilization. From the muslim period, put to an end with the  expulsion of the moorish, one can find important remains in town, on the rural  area, and even on people's traditions. Outside the city we find interesting manor houses with fabulous orchards where orange trees are grown. During the springtime the air is perfumed by the delicate smell of orange blossoms.