Olot

Olot
Municipality
The Plaça Major of Olot
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): La ciutat dels volcans (The city of the volcanoes)
Olot Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 42°11′N 2°29′E / 42.183°N 2.483°E
Country	Spain
Community	Catalonia
Province	Girona
Comarca	Garrotxa
Government
• Mayor	Josep Maria Corominas Barnadas (2015)[1] (CiU)
Area[2]
• Total	29.0 km^2 (11.2 sq mi)
Elevation	443 m (1,453 ft)
Population (2015)[1]
• Total	33,944
• Density	1,200/km^2 (3,000/sq mi)
Website	www.olot.cat

Olot (Catalan pronunciation: [uˈɫɔt]) is the capital city of the comarca of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The city is known for its natural landscape, including four volcanoes scattered around the city center. The municipality is part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. Olot is also well-known for its cultural activity, with historical art movements like Olot school or imaginery schools, which contributed to the location in the city of the main Design and Arts & Crafts school of the province of Girona, the Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny d'Olot.

Etymology

The etymology of Olot is not clear and there are several hypotheses. According to the Crònica Universal de Catalunya, Olot was founded by Ulo, former king of the dynasty of Atlanteans, (then called Siculus), with the name of Ulot.^[3] Another theory, more spread, is that the name comes from ala (wing in Catalan), because the city has been documented with the names Aulot and Alot. For this reason, the coat of Olot has a wing in reference to the name of the city.^[3]

Situation

The municipality 29,12 km² and includes the city of Olot and the town of Batet de la Serra (annexed in 1971). The term is located at 443.4 meters above sea level and is approximately 50 km from Girona, the capital of the province of the same name. It is bordered by Sant Joan les Fonts (north east), Santa Pau (south east), Les Preses (south west), Riudaura (west) and La Vall de Bianya (north west).

The municipality consist of the original city of Olot and old towns and neighbourhoods that now form a conurbation around the city (Sant Roc d'Olot, Sant Cristòfol de les Fonts, Sant Andreu del Coll, Closells) apart from different urbanisations (les Fonts, Mas Bernat, les Planoles, etc.) and the old municipality of Batet de la Serra, which was independent until 1971.

Panorama of Olot from Montsacopa volcano

Geography and climate

Olot is located on a plain surrounded by the mountain ranges of Valentí, Aiguanegra, the plateau of Batet, Marboleny and Sant Valentí de la Pinya. The plain is crossed by the Fluvià river and the Riudaura stream. There are four volcanoes in the city of Olot, called Montolivet, Montsacopa, Garrinada and Bisaroques.

The Fluvià discharges 1.07 m³/s into the Mediterranean Sea.

The area of Garrotxa is generally more humid than neighbouring regions. The annual rainfall is around 1000 mm. Popularly, it is said that "if it isn't raining in Olot, it isn't raining anywhere" (Si no plou a Olot, no plou enlloc in Catalan). The minimum in Olot in January is around 0 °C, and the maximum in August is around 28 °C.

Population

Population census
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1718 2,627 —     1787 9,146 +1.82% 1860 10,262 +0.16% 1900 7,938 −0.64% 1930 11,615 +1.28% 1960 17,185 +1.31%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1981 24,892 +1.78% 1991 26,713 +0.71% 1996 27,482 +0.57% 1998 27,644 +0.29% 1999 27,814 +0.61% 2000 27,967 +0.55%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2001 28,339 +1.33% 2002 28,890 +1.94% 2003 29,546 +2.27% 2004 30,306 +2.57% 2005 31,271 +3.18% 2006 31,932 +2.11%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2007 32,337 +1.27% 2008 32,903 +1.75% 2009 33,524 +1.89% 2010 33,589 +0.19% 2011 33,725 +0.40% 2012 33,813 +0.26%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2013 33,981 +0.50% 2014 33,913 −0.20% 2015 33,944 +0.09%
Source: IDESCAT

Arts and culture

The city of Olot has a rich cultural heritage. There are several fine examples of Modernist architecture and the "Claustres del Carme", the Carmelite Cloisters, which date back to the Renaissance.

With regard to painting and sculpture, the importance of the "Olot School" should not be left out. This artistic movement is well represented in the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa (the regional museum). Painting, sculpture and ceramics being the key elements in the art of Olot, not to mention the tradition of the Nativity Scenes or "pessebres" and the world famous sculptures of saints.

Nowadays the Olot Art School exists as a design and arts schools with the name of Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny d'Olot and occupies the "Claustres del Carme" mentioned above.

Famous people from Olot

• Miquel Blay
• Jaume Bofill
• Josep Clarà
• Antonio Soler
• Marià Vayreda
• Pedro Llosas Badía
• Francesc Xavier de Bolòs i Germà
• Joaquim Danés i Torras
• Pau Estorch i Siqués
• Joan Pere Fontanella
• Manuel Malagrida i Fontanet
• Joaquim Masmitjà i de Puig
• Francesc Montsalvatge i Fosas
• Camil Mulleras i Garrós
• Esteve Paluzie i Cantalozella

Twin towns

• Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville, France
• Thuir, France

References

• Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).

1. "Ajuntament d'Olot". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
2. "El municipi en xifres: Olot". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
3. PIFERRER, Francisco Nobiliario de los reinos y señoríos de España

External links