Olivenza


Olivenza or Olivença is a town in southwestern Spain, close to the Portugal–Spain border. It is a municipality belonging to the province of Badajoz, and to the wider autonomous community of Extremadura.
The town of Olivença was under Portuguese sovereignty from 1297 to 1801, when it was occupied by Spain during the War of the Oranges and ceded that year under the Treaty of Badajoz. Spain has since administered the territory, whereas Portugal invokes the self-revocation of the Treaty of Badajoz, plus the Congress of Vienna of 1815, to claim the return of the territory. In spite of the territorial dispute between Portugal and Spain, the issue has not been a sensitive matter in the relations between these two countries.
Olivenza and other neighbouring Spanish and Portuguese towns reached an agreement in 2008 to create a euroregion.

Geography

Olivenza is located on the left bank of the Guadiana river, at an equal distance of south of Elvas in Portugal and Badajoz in Spain. The territory is triangular, with a smaller side resting on the Guadiana and the opposite vertex entering south-east and surrounded by Spanish territory. Besides the city, the municipality of Olivenza also includes other minor villages: San Francisco, San Rafael, Villarreal, Santo Domingo de Guzman, San Benito de la Contienda, and San Jorge de Alor.
The catchment area which drains Olivenza consists of irregular water streams regularly drying up in the summer. The Olivenza river—whose water is dammed up in the reservoir of Piedra Aguda, opened in 1956 and with a capacity of —discharges into the Guadiana, leaving the city to its west and, then, south. Closer to the city, there is an artificial pond, the charca of Ramapallas.

History

Medieval and early modern history

It is possible the settlement did not exist during the Muslim period. A 1278 document refers to the place as 'populated again', but this is not conclusive. Badajoz and its surrounding territory were conquered by Alfonso IX of León in 1230. Taken away from the alfoz of Badajoz, the Knights Templar had occupied the territory already by 1258, founding an encomienda in Olivenza integrated in the Bailiwick of Jerez de los Caballeros. They proceeded to build a castle and a church as core of the hamlet, following the templar model of repopulation.
The second half of the 13th century saw continual territorial disputes between the Order of the Temple and the council of Badajoz over the lands north of the Fragamuñoz creek, and the municipal militias of Badajoz invaded Cheles, Alconchel and Barcarrota in 1272, although those territories were retroceded to the Order by means of a 1277 settlement. Soon later, by 1278, Alfonso X recognised the jurisdiction of the Council of Badajoz and the Diocese over Olivenza, putting an end to the Templar control over the hamlet. Amid a situation of unrest in the Crown of Castile in the wake of the death of King Sancho IV, King Dinis of Portugal forced King Ferdinand IV to sign the Treaty of Alcañices in 1297 and cede, amongst other possessions, Olivenza to the Kingdom of Portugal. On 4 January 1298, Dinis granted Olivenza a foral similar to that of Elvas.
Following the start of the war between Castile and Portugal in 1640, Olivenza was taken in 1657 by forces loyal to the Spanish Monarchy led by Neapolitan governor Francesco Tuttavilla, Duke of San Germán after a long siege. By means of the 1668 Treaty of Lisbon, Olivenza was returned to the Kingdom of Portugal.
In the context of the War of the Spanish Succession, the Ajuda Bridge was used for the retreat of the Anglo-Portuguese army after they were crushed at the Battle of La Gudiña in May 1709. The victorious Spanish Bourbon army led by the Marquis de Bay ordered its destruction to prevent the Portuguese using it again.

19th century

In the wake of the Portuguese refusal to enter an alliance with France and Spain against Britain, the brief War of the Oranges began in 1801, with the French troops marching on Portugal, then followed by Spanish troops. Olivenza capitulated to the Spanish army led by Godoy on 20 May 1801. The 1801 Treaty of Badajoz putting an end to the war returned to Portugal the occupied towns except those on the left bank of the Guadiana river, which were ceded to Spain, including its inhabitants, on a 'perpetual' basis. The Treaty also stipulated that the breach of any of its articles would lead to its cancellation.
  • 1801
  • *29 January 1801 – Treaty of Badajoz is signed between France, Spain and Portugal. If Portugal does not comply with the terms, it would give Spain and France a reason for invasion.
  • *20 May 1801 – Spanish troops enter Portugal alongside the French, effectively invading Portuguese border towns after Portugal does not comply with the terms of the Treaty of Badajoz.
  • *6 June 1801 – Portugal, Spain and France sign the Treaty of Badajoz, in which Olivenza is given to Spain.
  • 1805
  • *26 January 1805 – The Portuguese currency is forbidden.
  • *20 February 1805 – Teaching in Portuguese is forbidden.
  • *14 August 1805 – Adoption of the Spanish language in city hall documents.
  • 1807
  • *October – Treaty of Fontainebleau between Spain and France dividing Portugal and all Portuguese dominions between them.
  • *November – French and Spanish troops again march over Portugal, in the Peninsular War.
  • 1808
  • *John, Prince Regent of Portugal, repudiates the Treaty of Badajoz claiming that the ongoing war abrogated the peace terms of the treaty.
  • 1809
  • *July – Portugal presents to the Supreme Central Junta, in Seville, an official order of restitution of the territory of Olivenza.
  • 1810
  • *19 February 1810 – Treaty of alliance and friendship between Portugal and Britain, whereby the United Kingdom pledges to help Portugal to regain possession of Olivenza, in turn receiving the exploration of the Portuguese establishments of Bissau and Cacheu for a period of 50 years.
  • *Portugal starts negotiating a treaty with the Regency Council of Spain, whereby Olivenza should be given back to Portugal.
  • 1811
  • * March – French general Soult takes Olivenza.
  • 15 April 1811 – Beresford, a British marshal serving as Commander-in-chief of the Portuguese Army, briefly retakes Olivenza.
  • 1813
  • *19 May 1813 – The remaining Portuguese language private schools are closed by the Spanish authorities.
  • 1814
  • *30 May 1814 – The Treaty of Paris between France and Portugal includes a provision declaring the 1801 treaties of Badajoz and Madrid null and void. Spain is not a part of this agreement.
  • 1815
  • *9 June 1815 – The Portuguese delegation to the Congress of Vienna, led by Pedro de Sousa Holstein, succeeds in including article 105 in the Final Act, stating that the winning countries are to "endeavour with the mightiest conciliatory effort to return Olivenza to Portuguese authority". The Spanish representative to the Congress, Pedro Gomes Labrador, refuses to sign the Treaty, registering a protest against several of the Congress resolutions, including article 105.
  • *27 October 1815 – Expecting the quick restitution of Olivenza, Prince Regent John nominates José Luiz de Sousa as plenipotentiary.
  • 29 January 1817 – Portugal occupies Uruguay due to rebel threats against Brasil.
  • 7 May 1817 – Spain finally ratifies the Treaty of Vienna.
  • 1818–1819 – Spain and Portugal, with the mediation of France, the United Kingdom, Russia and Austria, negotiate in the Conference of Paris toward a peaceful restitution of Uruguay to Spain. Spain accepts the terms of an agreement proposed by the mediators but due to internal problems and the Liberal Revolution in 1820, actions never took place.
  • 7 November 1820 – Spanish authorities forbade the use of private teaching in Portuguese.
  • 1821 – Portugal annexes Uruguay. In reaction, Spain withdraws from the Olivenza talks.
  • 1840 – The Portuguese language is forbidden in the territory of Olivenza, including inside churches.
  • 1850 – The village of Táliga is separated to form its own municipality.
  • 1858 – Isabel II of Spain grants the title of City to Olivenza.
  • 29 September 1864 – The Treaty of Lisbon between Portugal and Spain is signed, demarcating the border from the estuary of the Minho river, on the far North, to the confluence of the Caya River with the Guadiana river, just north of Olivenza. The demarcation of the border is not pursued further because of the situation of Olivenza.

    20th century

  • 1918/1919 – With the end of World War I, the Portuguese government studies the possibility of taking the situation of Olivenza to the Paris Peace Conference. However, as Spain had not participated in the War, the intervention of the international community in this issue is not possible.
  • 29 June 1926 – Portugal and Spain sign the Convention of Limits an agreement demarcating the border from the confluence of Ribeira de Cuncos with the Guadiana, just south of Olivenza, to the estuary of the Guadiana, on the far South. The border between Portugal and Spain from the confluence of the Caya river to the confluence of the Cuncos is not demarcated and remains so nowadays, with the Guadiana being the de facto border.
  • 1936–1939 – During the Spanish Civil War, Portuguese Colonel Rodrigo Pereira Botelho volunteers to occupy Olivenza. The 8th Portuguese Regiment, stationed in nearby Elvas, prepares to take Olivenza but is ordered not to.
  • 15 August 1938 – The Pro-Olivenza Society is founded, the first of a number of pressure groups established to advance the cause of Olivenza in Portugal.
  • 1954 – Oliventine children are no longer allowed to take free holidays in the Portuguese seaside resort "Colónia Balnear Infantil d'O Século", managed by a newspaper owned charity.
  • 1956 – Two 'colonisation villages' are created, San Francisco de Olivenza, named in honor of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, and San Rafael de Olivenza, named after the then Minister of Agriculture, Rafael Cavestany Anduaga, both made up from Spanish citizens from various parts of Spain.
File:BA-Guadiana internacional 23.jpg|thumb|Ruins of 16th-century Ponte da Ajuda over the Guadiana, in the ancient road between Elvas and Olivenza
  • 24 January 1967 – The Portuguese government declares the Ponte da Ajuda Bridge a National Heritage Monument.
  • 1968 – A covenant between Portugal and Spain on exploitation of hydraulic resources in the frontier rivers is signed. All frontier rivers are covered, distributing the hydraulic exploitation between both countries. The hydraulic exploitation of the non-demarcated section in the Guadiana river is assigned to Portugal. The only difference between this section and the rest is that the term "international" is omitted.
  • 1977 – A Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Spain and Portugal is signed, in which both countries ratified the integrity and inviolability of their respective territories thereby effectively assuming Olivenza is under Spanish control.
The municipality lost an important chunk of its population from 1960 to 1975, with many working-age migrants moving to other Spanish cities in the wake of the implementation of the Stabilization Plans but also moving abroad to countries such as Switzerland, Germany and France.
  • 1981 – Former prime minister of Portugal, admiral Pinheiro de Azevedo publishes a book on Olivenza and visits the town, leading Spain to send a contingent of the Civil Guard to prevent any confrontation.
  • 1990
  • *In an Iberian Summit, the prime ministers of Portugal and Spain sign a covenant for the joint effort to preserve the Ponte da Ajuda Bridge, as well as the construction of a new bridge alongside it, also as a joint effort.
  • *Elvas and Olivenza became friendship towns.
  • 1994, November – After internal criticism that the agreement of 1990 would mean the recognition of the de facto border by the government of Portugal, the agreement is modified in another Iberian Summit. Portugal is now in full charge of constructing the new bridge and preserving the old bridge, therefore not putting the Portuguese claim to the territory of Olivenza at stake.
  • March 1995 – The Portuguese government sends its Spanish counterpart a study on the effects that the construction of the Alqueva Dam would have on Spanish territory. Information on Olivenza is not included. Later, Portugal sends further information, including data on Olivenza, under the title "Territory of Spain and Olivenza".
  • October 1999 – The Spanish police stop preservation works being undertaken by the Portuguese on the old Ponte da Ajuda Bridge on the left bank of the Guadiana river. The Portuguese had been working on that side of the bridge without Spanish permits assuming that the left bank-side of the Guadiana river belonged to Portugal, according to the 1968 covenant. In subsequent events, a Portuguese court order prevents Spain from taking over the works.
  • 11 November 2000 – The new Olivenza Bridge, constructed by Portugal and Spain, is inaugurated.