Les Olives: Village Culture, Architecture and the GR-Suau

Les Olives is a small village laid out around a large rectangular square. The Casa-Taller of the Rodríguez-Amat Foundation is located in this village square. Cultural and architectural highlights also include Sant Vicenç de les Olives, Can Ros de les Olives and the Festa Major. Another perspective is offered by the 11th stage of the GR-Suau, which runs through a rural landscape.

Village Square and Casa-Taller

The large rectangular square defines the layout of the village: Les Olives is arranged around it. The Casa-Taller of the Rodríguez-Amat Foundation is located right on the square, providing a distinct cultural landmark. This brings together a striking spatial form and a named cultural venue. For travellers who also choose a destination for its cultural offerings, this is a clear point of reference: the square describes the village layout, while the Casa-Taller adds to the cultural side of the place.

Architecture in Les Olives

The west façade of Sant Vicenç de les Olives has a round-arched portal made of large voussoirs. In a round arch, wedge-shaped stones form the arch together; here, the large stones are a feature of the façade's design. A rose window was added later. The façade thus brings together elements from different periods. For those interested in architecture, this sequence offers a clear point of reference: the portal and rose window differ not only in form, but also in when they were added.

Can Ros de les Olives offers a different architectural emphasis. The large building has two storeys and large windows; its features also include spacious rooms with elegant lunette vaults. Lunette vaults are a type of vault in which arched openings shape the vault surface. At Can Ros, the scale of the building, its windows and the design of its interior spaces come together. Unlike the round-arched portal of Sant Vicenç, the focus here is not only on a façade detail, but also on the form of spacious rooms and their vaults. The two buildings therefore highlight different aspects of architecture.

Festive Traditions

The Festa Major de Les Olives (Garrigoles), the winter Festa Major, includes a mass, a communal rice meal and a sardana performance. The programme brings together a mass, a shared meal and a performance. This festive occasion adds a community programme to the village's architectural highlights. If you also want to consider Les Olives in terms of its festive traditions, this combination is a distinct aspect alongside the village layout and architectural features.

Rural Landscape and the GR-Suau

The 11th stage of the GR-Suau begins in the Les Olives neighbourhood of Garrigoles. It passes through cultivated fields, forests and small settlements in a rural landscape. These different landscape features shape the stage: cultivated fields, woodland and settlements all contribute to its character. For travel planning, this offers a different perspective from looking at individual buildings or the village square. While the architecture in Les Olives foregrounds architectural details and spaces, the route encompasses several elements of the rural landscape. You can therefore weigh up the village's cultural character and a landscape-focused route, depending on what matters most to your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Maçanet De La Selva, La Tallada D'empordà, Vilopriu, Ribes De Freser, Les Llosses, Sant Pere Pescador, Ultramort, Foixà

See the overview of the wider area: Girona.