La Carolina was originally built as a foreign colony in the 18th Century. This part of Andalucia had been depopulated, partly because of emigration to the Americas, and it was suggested that the area could be occupied by foreigners. One of those who backed the idea was Pablo de Olavide from Peru. Several towns and villages were established and about ten thousand French, Geman and Swiss colonists came to live in the new settlements. La Carolina was the capital of these communities.
