Olost
Encyclopedia
Olost de Lluçanés is a small village in the province
of Barcelona
, Catalonia
, Spain
. It has less than 1,200 people, situated on a plain 669 meters above sea level at 20 km from Vic
in the center of the ancient shire
or comarca
of the Lluçanès, at present in the comarca of Osona
. In the center of the village stands the beautiful church of Santa Maria d'Olost of monumental size, with a large façade and two bell towers. Its construction started in the 10th century and ended in the 18th century. Near Olost are the two small settlements of Santa Creu de Jutglars (built in 984) and the Vila with Sant Gil de la Vila (build in 1038) and the unusual Castell d'Olost build in 1155 with added elements of the 14th and 15th centuries, that lies in a depression next to a stream in the district of Orista. Even though it was a fortified farm it has the structure of a castle, it is nearly hidden from view no doubt for protection in the Middle Ages
.
Near the village in the summit of a small hill stands the hermitage
of Sant Adjutori (1714)
In the Middle Ages
, the village of Olost was no doubt in one of the roads taken by troubadours and "jutglars" to cross the Pyrenees
It can be the origin of the name of the settlement of Santa Creu de Jutglars (jugglers or troubadours). Some historians have emphasised that the incidence of the letters OSS, SOS, OS in the names of villages of southern France
and Catalunya stands for villages whose names were of Cathar origin and were founded or deeply influenced by Catharism in the 11-13th centuries.
The village feast in honor of its patron saint
is on August 15. The village has a public school and two factories. The nearest train station is in Vic and from there a minibus provides transportation service. The main products in the village are agricultural:corn, potatoes, sunflower seeds and wheat. Nearby farms raise cows,pigs and poultry.
Near Olost at 6 km, is the artificial lake and dam of Reixach or of Santa Creu de Joglars over the river Gavarresa. To reach it one must take the road from Olost to Prats de Lluçanès and take the private road to Reixach a few km from Olost. The lake is good for some fishing of small and medium carp
(Cyprinus carpio) and some northern pike
(Esox lucius) that was introduced from North America.
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It has less than 1,200 people, situated on a plain 669 meters above sea level at 20 km from Vic
Vic
Vic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
in the center of the ancient shire
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
or comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of the Lluçanès, at present in the comarca of Osona
Osona (comarca)
Osona is a comarca situated in central Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Vic. Its population is 129,543. Osona covers roughly the same area as the historic Catalan county of Osona. The name Osona comes from Ausetans, a group of Iberian people that had their capital in Ausa ; the Romans called the...
. In the center of the village stands the beautiful church of Santa Maria d'Olost of monumental size, with a large façade and two bell towers. Its construction started in the 10th century and ended in the 18th century. Near Olost are the two small settlements of Santa Creu de Jutglars (built in 984) and the Vila with Sant Gil de la Vila (build in 1038) and the unusual Castell d'Olost build in 1155 with added elements of the 14th and 15th centuries, that lies in a depression next to a stream in the district of Orista. Even though it was a fortified farm it has the structure of a castle, it is nearly hidden from view no doubt for protection in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Near the village in the summit of a small hill stands the hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
of Sant Adjutori (1714)
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the village of Olost was no doubt in one of the roads taken by troubadours and "jutglars" to cross the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
It can be the origin of the name of the settlement of Santa Creu de Jutglars (jugglers or troubadours). Some historians have emphasised that the incidence of the letters OSS, SOS, OS in the names of villages of southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Catalunya stands for villages whose names were of Cathar origin and were founded or deeply influenced by Catharism in the 11-13th centuries.
The village feast in honor of its patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
is on August 15. The village has a public school and two factories. The nearest train station is in Vic and from there a minibus provides transportation service. The main products in the village are agricultural:corn, potatoes, sunflower seeds and wheat. Nearby farms raise cows,pigs and poultry.
Near Olost at 6 km, is the artificial lake and dam of Reixach or of Santa Creu de Joglars over the river Gavarresa. To reach it one must take the road from Olost to Prats de Lluçanès and take the private road to Reixach a few km from Olost. The lake is good for some fishing of small and medium carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
(Cyprinus carpio) and some northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
(Esox lucius) that was introduced from North America.
| 900 | 1515 | 1717 | 1857 | 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1981 | 1986 | 1990 | 1994 | 1996 | 2006 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- | 17 | 451 | 1211 | 917 | 1.089 | 1.120 | 904 | 961 | 948 | 969 | 1193 | 1204 | 1187 | 1199 |