In the second half of the XIX century, Catalan landscape painting acquired an importance and personality previously unknown to this genre. Among the landscape artists of the moment were Josep Armet and Josep Berga, however it was Joaquim Vayreda who became the foremost Catalan landscape painter. In his work, the landscape took centre stage.
Vayreda was the founder of the Olot School of countryside painting, a movement characterised by the taste for painting from nature and directly inspired by the works of the French artists of Barbizon School. Their canvases, which enjoyed wide exposure and considerable success, influenced numerous Catalan landscape painters.
The Museu de la Garrotxa has an extensive collection of paintings by the Olot School, and the Museu dels Sants has a collection centred on one of Olot's traditional industries: religious imagery. And it is Olot's saints' workshops that make virtually all the religious sculptures that are found around the world. The museum shows the whole process of making these pieces and allows you to see, first hand, the inside of a workshop (on week days).
Olot School
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Routes and excursions TOP
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Ruta de les Fonts i Verlets. Route 1 Sant Joan les Fonts
This walk takes you through an area full of natural springs where local people once went to relax, above all in summer.
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Castellfollit de la Roca cliff. Natural Park route 13
This itinerary passes near a spectacular basaltic cliff, not only for its height, but also for the houses built right on its edge.
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Jewish Besalú
The Jewish quarter of Besalú stood next to the river Fluvià for over 500 years and its history lives on in the rich heritage it has left behind.
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Lligordà and Palera route. Route 5 Beuda
Itinerary around Beuda, which will allow you to see some of its main Romanesque constructions.
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The charcoal makers and bac route. Route 3 Mieres
This route is an agreeable stroll through the shady woods of Clot Mal, a stream that runs down from the western side of the slopes around the church of Freixe.
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Cycling route of the Llierca valley
A route to discover by bike the plain located between Castellfollit de la Roca, the Llierca bridge, Sales de Llierca and Argelaguer.
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Sant Grau d'Entreperes to Sant Miquel de Monteia (from Sadernes)
This route will take you to two of the most emblematic Romanesque chapels in the Sierra de Entreperes, in the Alta Garrotxa.
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Grau d'Escales route. Route 2 Montagut i Oix
Grau d'Escales is a relatively easy pass (grau = ‘pass’ and escala = ‘step’ in Catalan) between two abrupt cliffs from where there are good views of the Salt dels Lliberals (Liberal’s Leap).
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Vayreda’s Alta Garrotxa. Route 8 Garrotxa
Marian Vayreda’s novel La Punyalada provides one of the best ways of discovering the Alta Garrotxa. The places depicted by this 19th century author in the scenes from his famous novel have been joined in a discovery route.
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Olot and its volcanoes
Rediscover nature in the heart of the city. The urban layout of Olot is set around one of the most famous volcanoes: Montsacopa.