Centro Ocupacional Oriol; Amparo Blaya

“Andalusians of Jaén”

C/Chopo

2014

The Oriol Occupational Centre, following a design and coordinated by painter Amparo Blaya, produced this large mural. In it, a rooster sings at dawn in a field full of olive trees. It is a tribute to Miguel Hernández through the verses of his poem: The Olive Harvesters.

Andalusians of Jaén,
proud harvesters of olives,
tell me from your soul, then,
who made the olive groves?

They did not come from nothing,
from money, nor the masters,
only from the silent earth,
and from sweat and toil.

United with pure water,
united with the planets,
the three made the beauty
of the twining trunks.

Rise, white olive tree,
they said at the wind’s feet.
And the olive raised an arm
weighty as concrete.