Church of Santa María del Castillo

The Church of Santa María del Castillo is a parish church located within the grounds of the castle of Olivenza, in the town of Olivenza, province of Badajoz, Extremadura, at the coordinates indicated. The tourist and patrimonial documentation identifies it as a church, although in some files it also appears as a hermitage due to the generic use of the resource. Its origin goes back to a first Olivetan church of the 13th century, linked to the old medieval settlement of the castle. The current building was erected between 1584 and 1627 by André de Arenas, replacing the previous factory, and presents a late-renaissance architecture with a church-hall typology. The exterior features a tower-façade and an ashlar façade, while the interior is divided into three naves at the same height, with gray marble columns and Ionic capitals. The chevet preserves a baroque Eucharistic altarpiece, and in the chapel on the Gospel side stands out the famous Tree of Jesse, considered the largest preserved of this theme. Its historical and artistic interest is related to the evolution of the ancient medieval church into a great temple of modern times, integrated in the monumental complex of the castle of Olivenza. The presence of Baroque altarpieces and late Renaissance elements makes it one of the most important pieces of heritage in the historic center of Olivenza.