Oviedo is located approximately 24 km (15 mi) southwest ofGijón[3] and 23 km (14 mi) southeast ofAvilés,[4] both of which lie on the shoreline of theBay of Biscay. Oviedo's proximity to the ocean of less than 30 kilometres (19 mi) in combination with its elevated position with areas of the city more than 300 metres above sea level causes the city to have amaritime climate, even though it does not sit directly on the shore.
TheKingdom of Asturias began in 720, with the Visigothic aristocratPelagius's (685–737) revolt against the Muslims who at the time were occupying most of theIberian Peninsula. TheMoorish invasion that began in 711 had taken control of most of the peninsula, until the revolt in the northern mountains by Pelagius. The resulting Kingdom of Asturias, located in an economically poor region of Iberia, was largely ignored by the Muslims. In 720, the area where Oviedo is now located was still uninhabited.[5]
It is said that two monks, Máximo and Fromestano (Latin:Maximus et Fromestanus), founded the city in 761. That settlement was soon to be completed with the construction of a small church dedicated toSaint Vincent. Oviedo was established on an uninhabited hillside, with no Visigothic or Roman foundation before it became an Asturian city.[6] Following Pelagius, who died in 737,Alfonso I (739–57) founded a dynasty that reigned until 1037. The Asturian Kingdom was on hostile terms with southern Moorish Spain. In 794, Oviedo was sacked and pillaged by EmirHisham I in one of his numerous campaigns against the Christian kingdoms.[7]
King Alfonso I is said to have "set in place the whole order of the Goths, as it had been inToledo, as much in the church as in the palace."[8] The intention with Oviedo was to shape it into a city similar to that of Visigothic Toledo. Once kings had settled in Oviedo, they adopted as much of the architectural style and imagery of Toledo. Even with this in mind, Oviedo did not necessarily resemble the old Visigothic capital in Toledo. The churches and buildings of Oviedo follow instead late provincial Roman tradition. Since Asturias at the time was an agriculturally poor area of Spain the scale of the buildings is quite impressive.[9]
Oviedo's rich architectural tradition began with King Fruela I (757–768). KingFruela I of Asturias, the fourth of the Asturian monarchs, was the first decided promoter of the city as may be witnessed by his construction of both a palace and a nearby church. This church was later restored by Alfonso II. Oviedo owes to a later king,Alfonso II The Chaste (791–842), its establishment as a capital city and ruling seat as a result of the moving of the court fromPravia and the creation of the Pilgrim's Route toSantiago de Compostela, a major event in the history of Oviedo, a church dedicated toThe Saviour, theCathedral of San Salvador, and a royal palace formed the nucleus of Oviedo. Also constructed during Alfonso II's reign was the San Julian de los Prados church, which is one of the best preserved Asturian churches. Alfonso II's successor,Ramiro I (842–850), continued Alfonso II's construction streak. Ramiro I constructed two buildings, theChurch Santa Maria del Naranco andSan Miguel de Lillo. The Church Santa Maria de Naranco was likely to originally be Ramiro I's palace and later changed into a church.[10] By this time the Court of the Palace was centered in Oviedo, which was the main royal residence. This court was controlled by members of the Asturian nobility.[11]
Ramiro I's (842–850) eight-year tenure was uneasy, he faced rebellions from the Counts of the Palace. The first rebellion against Ramiro I was led by Alroitus, and the second rebellion was led by Piniolus. Both of these rebellions were unsuccessful in removing Ramiro I. These rebellions may have been why Ramiro I built his palace in the mountains surrounding Oviedo, presumably away from the violence.[11] During the 9th century in Oviedo, Roman style property law is common. 9th century documents also indicate small scale aristocracies across the kingdom, as well as a large presence of a landowning peasantry.[12]
Following Ramiro I's reign,Ordoño I (850–866) came into power and began the Asturian king's father-son succession. Ordoño I was the first king to push southwards into Arab territory.[12] Following Ordoño I's death on 27 May 866, usurpers attempted to take the throne. The followingking Alfonso III (866–910), who was thirteen at the time, took refuge in Castile until his followers had killed the usurper.[13]
Alfonso III's contributions to building construction are not nearly as well documented as Ramiro I's or Alfonso II's contributions. The Chronicle of Alfonso III does not mention any buildings created by Alfonso III, neither does the Chronicle of Albelda. In 882, the body of the Cordoban martyrEulogius was sent to Oviedo. This was meant a diplomatic gift from Emir Muhammad I (852–886). Eulogius was executed in 859. The body was probably accompanied by Eulogius's book collection.[13] In the 16th century, the only manuscript of Eulogius's writings was discovered in the Oviedo Cathedral Library. Here it was copied once before it disappeared completely from the library. Following an offensive in 881 against an Umayyad army, Alfsonso III returned to Oviedo to rebuild churches. It was at this time he constructed one or more palaces.The Chronicle of Albelda and theChronicle of Sampiro tie Alfonso III's victories in battle to his program of church building in Oviedo.[14] In 908, Alfonso III commissioned a gold and jewelled cross to contain the cross carried by Pelagius I at Covadonga. This "Cross of Victory" is located in theCamara Sancta in the Oviedo Cathedral. However, recent Carbon14 analysis of the wooden cross indicates that it was no older than the golden casing created to surround the cross. The commission of the casing shows us Alfonso III's interest in perpetuating the legend of Pelagius I.
Towards the end of Alfonso III's reign, he faced many challenges. In 901, a prophet named Alhaman led a "great army of Muslims" and attempted to take Zamora.[citation needed] To add to this, Alfonso III's brother Vermudo revolted in Astorga. There were several attempts at the aging Alfonso III's life by his sons. Alfonso III was overthrown by sons, and died in Zamora. His body was taken to Oviedo for burial.
The moving of the royal court toLeón, after the death ofAlfonso III, 'The Great', links the life of the city to the relics preserved in its cathedral and the passing of pilgrims that visit El Salvador, and continue on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Kings spent less and less time in Oviedo following the change, and spent more time in the rich Duero Plains. León was built up after it became the capital, and eventually surpassed Oviedo in terms of construction.
During the 12th century, many Royal Charters were fabricated byBishop Pelayo deOviedo, "el fabulador" ("the fabulist"). Since there were few checks on internal bookkeeping in the kingdom actions like this had become commonplace throughout Asturias. When original documents faded, they were copied onto cartularies and often with alterations that suited the needs of those who copied the documents. The most glaring example can be seen in theLiber Testamentorum, which was compiled by Bishop Pelayo de Oviedo in 1109. This document contained many confirmation rights and property rights of the Oviedo cathedral by Asturian and Leonese Kings. Bishop Pelayo's intent behind this was to try to gain the independence of his see from the archbishop ofToledo or Santiago, as well as to promote Oviedo as a pilgrim destination.[15] According to Sánchez-Albornoz, "He (Bishop Pelayo) always, always, always falsified."[16] It is assumed that Bishop Pelayo never committed forgery for the enjoyment, but primarily to promote the church of Oviedo.[17]
The following centuries (12th–16th) witness the development of the medieval city, the outlines of which are still preserved today, the construction of the city walls, a devastating fire which took place on Christmas Eve in 1521, and theaqueduct works,Los Pilares, constructed in order to provide the city with water throughout the 16th century.[citation needed] The city had a Jewish community, and after theexpulsion of Spain's Jews in 1492, Oviedo was included in a royal investigation into the smuggling of Jewish property.[18]
The foundation of the Arts College (University of Oviedo) byFernando de Valdés Salas, at the beginning of the 17th century, opened Oviedo to a progressive urban expansion. Further impulse was in the 18th century by the regional nobility and the construction of remarkable palaces; in the 19th century by industrial growth and the suburban development of Uría Street; and finally in the 20th century by administrative and commercial development.
In October 1934, there was a left-wing revolt against the conservative government, based in several cities. In Asturias, the fighting developed into a small, short-lived civil war: theAsturian miners' strike of 1934. 50,000 workers, mostly miners, armed themselves with dynamite and captured Oviedo after heavy fighting. They gained control of the arsenal with 30,000 rifles and machine guns. The Army Chief of Staff, GeneralFrancisco Franco sent in soldiers who overpowered the rebels after severe street fighting that left 3,000 rebels dead and 7,000 wounded. The cathedral was badly damaged, with its eighth-century chapel blown up by a mine. In the aftermath, many false atrocity stories circulated.[19]
Oviedo's climate isoceanic (Cfb in theKöppen climate classification). Its climate is very similar to neighbouring city Gijón, with only slightly wider fluctuations in temperature due to its higher altitude and more inland location. Oviedo's warmest month is in August with an average high of 23.7 °C (74.7 °F).[20] The city centre is located at a lower elevation than the weather station so is probably somewhat milder year-round since both are located in an upwards gradient away from the sea. Its maritime position renders winters much milder than in continental Spain such as in theMadrid capital region, but summers naturally are far less hot than in the interior. There is a slight drying tendency during summer, albeit less than in other areas of Spain.
Climate data for Oviedo, altitude 336 m (1,102 ft) (1991-2020), extremes (1972-2023)
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 32,460, equal to 14.8% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areColombians (4,233),Venezuelans (3,120),Ecuadorians (2,990),Cubans (1,990) andRomanians (1,901).[2]
The economy is strongly dependent on theservice sector, with many office buildings in the city centre. Oviedo's status as the administrative centre of the region supports a large number of jobs in public administration. Themanufacturing sector, which remains important in this part of Spain, is not prevalent in Oviedo itself, but is more important in the adjacent municipalities ofSiero andLlanera which lie to the north of the city, between Oviedo andGijon. In 2009, the municipality had a total debt of €135 million.[23]
Oviedo contains a very rich architectural history, with many buildings dating back to the early medieval period. Many of the building projects were undertaken duringAlfonso II's (791-842) reign andRamiro I's (842-850) reign.Alfonso III's contributions are not as well documented.
Alfonso II is said to have built four churches, one dedicated to Christ the Saviour, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Tyrsus, and SS Julian and Basilissa. There are few traces of the churches dedicated to the Saviour, the Virgin Mary, and St. Tyrsus. TheSan Salvador church, which was dedicated to the Saviour, is probably beneath the Cathedral of Oviedo. The church ofSanta Maria de la Corte, which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was demolished in 1702.[24] As for St. Tyrsus, the church dedicated to him exists today as thechurch of San Tirso. Only a wall and a three light window are believed to have been built by Alfonso II, the majority of the rest of the church is dated to the 14th century.[25] The best preserved church constructed during Alfonso II's time wasSan Julian de los Prados.
Panoramic view of Oviedo
Two buildings are said to have been built during Ramiro I's reign, one was a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the other construction was a palace. These were built just outside Oviedo, on Monte Lignum. The churchSanta Maria de Naranco seems to originally have been a palace, but later repurposed into a church. The church has an atypical plan from other churches at its time, possibly because it was supposed to contain a throne room for the king. The other church built during Ramiro I's time wasSan Miguel de Lillo.[24]
The Chronicle of Albelda, one of the primary sources used to discern which King commissioned which building, only extends to 883. Because of this, constructions undertaken during Alfonso III's time as king were not documented.[14]
The following is a list of the notable architectural sites in Oviedo:
Cathedral of San Salvador, was erected in 1388 over the previous cathedral, which was founded in the 8th century. The original church was built byFruela I the Cruel (757), and then built upon by Alfonso II (791-842). The Tower on the south side of the church was erected in 1556. The north tower was never completed.[26]
Cámara Santa de Oviedo. Dating from 802. It is located within the Cathedral, attached to the southern transept of the cathedral, and it is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. Houses theArca Santa chest reliquary of theSudarium of Oviedo. The Cámara Sancta houses many Christian treasures. It contained the great gold and jeweled cross of victory for Alfonso III, which was made for housing a wooden cross used by the first Asturian king, Pelayo. The wooden cross was supposedly used in the Asturian victory at the battle of the Covadonga in 718. The Arca Sancta itself, which is covered with decorated silver plates, was commissioned by Alfonso VI (1072–1109).[26]
Santa María del Naranco Hall, 9th century. A relatively large pavilion, part of a palace complex built for the King Ramiro I.
Basilica ofSan Julián de los Prados. This church was originally constructed by Alfonso II (791-842), and is one of the best preserved Asturian churches. The church features a fresco decoration style. Although it was reported to have been placed near a palace, no trace of such palace has been found. Ideologically it would appear that church was opposed to religious imagery, which seems to parallel the iconoclast movement in the Byzantine Empire. However, there was no documentation of this ideal circulating in Spain at this point in time, so the Asturian stance on iconoclasm should not be inferred from this fact.[27]
La Balesquida Chapel (13th century). Associated with Oviedo's taylors' guild. Repeatedly restored in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. It is dedicated to the Virgin of Hope.
House of the Llanes (18th century). It is the bestBaroque façade in the whole of Asturias.
The ConventChurch of Santo Domingo, Oviedo (16th century). One of the monastic settlements outside the city walls. The original building burnt down in 1934 and it was heavily reconstructed after the Civil War.
El Fontán Market (17th-18th centuries). A simple but rather monumental complex; an 18th-century porticoed square, which housed the vegetable market. It fell victim to speculative manoeuvres. It was left to deteriorate on its own; claiming that it was beyond repair, it was then demolished in 1998 and rebuilt offering all modern amenities, but with its original proportions radically changed; the original complex being much lower than its modern replacement.
Casas del Cuitu, early 20th centuryArt Nouveau apartment building.
Church of San Tirso, or the Church of Saint Thyrsus, is located south west of the main cathedral. Only the east end of the church can trace its roots to Alfonso II's reign, with the rest of the church created during the 14th century. The triple arcaded window and east wall are the only portions of the church made during the early 9th century.[26]
Camposagrado Palace built in 1728 and 1744 combining baroque and neo-classical architectures. It is presently the home of the Regional Court of Asturias.[28]
Cultural institutions:Orquesta Sinfonica del Principado de Asturias is the premier orchestra of the region, the Principality of Asturias. This full-time symphony orchestra performs a wide range of the classical repertoire with world class soloists and conductors. It is based in the Auditorio Principe Felipe in Oviedo, but it also performs regularly at the main concert venues in Gijón and Avilés. It is Internationally recognized as one of the best orchestras in Spain, it is also committed to adventurous programing with strong emphasis on education and community partnerships. Rossen Milanov is the Music Director.
The Cuban float during theAmerican Day in Asturias paradeEl Fontán square3D letters
The Festive Calendar:
Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos de Oriente: The traditional Twelve Nightparade, where the Three Wise Men of the East and their retinue parade through the city main streets, reaching the Cathedral Square, where they make their offering to the Child Jesus.
The most famous athlete from Oviedo is2005 and2006Formula One world championFernando Alonso, famous for being Spain's only Formula One title winner, having raced forMinardi,Renault,Ferrari,McLaren,Alpine, andAston Martin. Alonso has his official career and life museum, together with a karting circuit designed by himself, in Llanera, nearby Oviedo.[30]
Oviedo is served by theAsturias Airport, about 48 km (30 mi) from the center of the city; it is located in the municipality of Castrillón. The airport is connected to the city by the A-8 motorway, the A-66 motorway and scheduled bus service (Alsa).
Oviedo currently has 15 bus lines[31] and oneBúho (owl) line. Theowl services run on Saturdays, Sundays and on the eve of public holidays, exceptChristmas Day andChristmas Eve.[32] Last two lines (Línea U yLínea V) that connect rural zones of Oviedo were implemented in March 2020 and they only operate between Monday and Friday.[33]
TheOviedo railway station provides a wide range of long- and middle-distance services, in addition to regional and suburban (cercanías) services operated byRenfe. Within the municipality, there are others rail stations on theCercanías Asturias network, in La Corredoria, Llamaquique, El Caleyo, Olloniego, Santa Eulalia de Manzaneda, Tudela-Veguín, Parque Principado, Colloto, Argañosa-Lavapiés, Las Campas, Las Mazas, San Claudio, Soto-Udrión, Trubia, Fuso de la Reina, and Caces.
TheOviedo-Villapérez mining railway wasnarrow gauge railway. It was just over 7 km (4.3 mi) long and ran from Oviedo to the iron ore mines in theVillapérez andNaranco mining areas from 1880 to 1916.
^Beinart, Haim (2001).The Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Littman Library of Jewish Civilization. Vol. 1. Translated by Jeffrey M. Green. Oxford: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press. pp. 297–298.
^Gerald Brennan, The Spanish Labyrinth: An Account of the Social and Political Background of the Spanish Civil War (2nd ed. 1950) pp 285-87
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