Things to do in Oviedo Spain
Founded as Ovetum, this town developed around the Monasterio de San Vicente in the 8th century; located 17 miles (28 km) from the coast, today it is the capital of the Principality (and autonomous region) of Asturias and it forms a geographic triangle with Gijon and Aviles (where the region's airport, the Aeropuerto de Asturias, is located).
Driving into Oviedo, surrounded by heavy industry, can be depressing; but the city is the least grim and industrial of the three, has the most interesting Casco Viejo (Old Town), and claims genuine historical significance. Early in the 9th century, Oviedo succeeded as the capital of the tiny kingdom of Asturias, the lone Christian outpost of otherwise Muslim Spain. A millennium of history, from the 8th to the 18th centuries, is represented by dozens of buildings in the Casco Viejo, including a handful of remarkable pre-Romanesque structures whose styles were 200 years before their time.
Oviedo Cathedral Spain
The Casco Viejo spreads around the 15th to 16th-century cathedral which has a marvelous Gothic tower, a charming cloister, one of Spain's most beautiful altarpieces, and a fine museum that houses, among other things an ivory cross. But the real treasure is the tiny holy chamber, built by Alfonso II in the 9th century to house reIics rescued from Toledo when it fell to the Moors, and altered in the 12th century. The chamber, which was incorporated into the later cathedral (and which was damaged by an explosion in 1934 and rebuilt after the Spanish Civil War), contains a startling array of priceless objects, including the gold-covered oak cross carried by Pelayo in the battle of Covadonga.
Behind the cathedral is the Museo Arqueologico Provincial, one of the most important in Spain, with collections from the Paleolithic period onward. The Oficina de Turismo de Oviedo is in front of the cathedral at 6 Plaza de la Catedral . Two minutes from Oviedo's Casco Viejo is the beautiful Parque de San Francisco, a huge square of gardens, trees, fountains, and romantic ruins of an old convent - a pleasant refuge from the urban sprawl, right in the city center.
A little farther off the beaten track is one of Asturias' most notable monuments, the 9th century Visigothic Iglesia de San Julitin de los Prados (Church of St. JuJian of the Fields, Santullano to the locals) in the northeast corner of town, which offers somewhat deteriorated murals based on Roman and Byzantine models. Two miles (3 km) from the city, within 250 yards of each other on El Monte Naranco (Naranco Hill), are two churches that are probably the finest examples of Asturian preRomanesque art.
Iglesia de Santa Marfa del Naranco and Iglesia de San Miguel de Lillo were both built by Ramiro I during his short 9th-century reign, and the former in particular is regarded as exemplary. Originally built as a palace, it included baths and attached living quarters until it was converted to a church during the 12th century.
A rectangular, two-floor building, it has a complex structure of barrel vaulting with reinforced arches resting on a system of blind arches. From the open-air upper floor, huge windows offer wide views. Other interesting features include the intricately chiseled stonework depicting hunting scenes, the Byzantine-style capitals, and the open porticoes at both ends, a revolutionary concept at the time. San Miguel de Lillo, just up the road, is a narrow, elevated building its height is three times the width of its central nave.
Aviles information
Dominated by heavy industry, Aviles is a major iron and steel producing center (as well as the site, just a bit out of town, of the Aeropuerto de Asturias, with flights to most major Spanish cities. The few historical landmarks it possesses are swamped by housing projects or smoke-stack scenarios, and the sea, only 2 miles (4 km) away, is one of Spain's pollution nightmares.
But the city does have a Casco Viejo (Old Town) aroud Galiana, La Ferreria, and Rivero Streets with several medieval mansions and a few 12th-century churches. The Iglesia de San Nicolas has three 14th and 15th-century chapels, and in front of the Iglesia de San Francisco there is an ornate 17th-century fountain. On Easter Sunday and Monday, the city celebrates the Fiesta del Bollu, when everybody dons folk costume to eat bollus de Pascua (Easter buns), drink white wine, and dance to traditional music.
Luarca Spain
tucked into an S-shaped cove with a delightful bay and fishing port, unrushed and unpretentious, Luarca is a maze of cobbled streets, stone stairways, and beautiful walks. The simple, colorful flower pots that decorate the whitewashed harbor walls are as near as the place gets to ostentation, except for the stupendously ornate cemetery, with marble burial niches and grand family tombs, which is worth some attention.It's located just before the lighthouse and Atalaya chapel, a 20-minute walk above the town.
Another excellent stroll begins by the bridge that crosses the town's small river, where a stone stairway leads up to the Ermita (Hermitage). While this structure is nothing exceptional, walk 10 minutes beyond it and you'll come to an old hamlet crammed with ancient herreos (granaries). Luarca has a fine beach, and it offers one of the last chances before Ribadeo to enjoy an evening of cider with the locals in a traditional Asturian Tavern.
The Pilgrim´s Route Santiago de la Compostela
The Camino de Santiago
The unlikely discovery of what were purported to be the remains of St. James the Apostle (Santiago in Spanish) in 813 made the town of Santiago de Compostela the third most important pilgrimage site in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome, and turned St. James into Matamoros (the Moorslayer), a potent rallying symbol for Christians during the Reconquista (reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors). During the first half of the 12th century, Aymeric Picaud, a French priest, wrote five volumes of stories connected with St. James, including a detailed guide for pilgrims on the journey to Santiago.
The pilgrims, identified by the scallop shell (the emblem of St. James) pinned to their cloaks and by their floppy felt hats, believed that completion of the long and arduous journey excused them from half of their allotted time in purgatory. They came from all over Europe and represented a wide spectrum of languages and cultures. The Pilgrims' Route, as it developed over the centuries, provides one of the most concentrated collections of Romanesque churches and Gothic cathedrals in the world, and the art decorating these religious monuments is a brilliant merging of Moorish, French, Italian, and Spanish Christian influences.
Today the Pilgrims' Route has been designated a cultural Route of Europe by the European Union. It officially begins at the Tour St. Jacques in Paris, descends via Vezelay and Le Puy to the Pyrenees, and crosses into Spain via the Roncesvalles Pass. The Spanish portion runs some 506 miles (810 km) through the north of the country. Upon entering Spain near Roncesvalles in the region of Navarre, the route passes through Pamplona, Logrono in La Rioja, and Burgos and Leon in the region of CastileLeon on its way to the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela.
Marked by crucifixes during medieval days, it is designated today by modern blue and yellow signs showing the scallop shell of St. James. It crosses the extremes of Spanish geography and climate, beginning high in the Pyrenees, then dropping into the fertile foothills and crossing the wide, dry, open plains, before rising again over the mountains separating Leon and Galicia and winding through the hilly, lush green landscape of the Spanish northwest.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Modern pilgrims still follow the route primarily to view the massive cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and its shrine. Indeed, to round the last corner and come face to face with the cathedral's golden granite Baroque facade and two soaring towers is, as travel writer Jan Morris maintains one of the great moments of travel. , Although 3,000 to 4,000 pilgrims still arrive on foot each year (those who travel on foot, horseback, or by bicycle are entitled to three days' free food and lodging in Santiago, and often receive free room and board along the way, as well), for most visitors the journey can be made more Comfortably.
In addition to cars and buses, the splendid luxury train El Transcantabrico covers the North Atlantic coast from Santiago to San Sebastian via 0 Ferrol, Luarca, Oviedo, Covadonga, Santillana del Mar, Santander, and Bilbao, traversing the first and last stages of the pilgrimage by bus.Keep in mind when planning your itinerary that museums, churches, and other places of touristic interest are generally open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons. Some museums may be open mornings only, and weekend hours are usually also shorter than on weekdays. Closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.
Estella Spain
Once the seat of the Kings of Navarre, this major stopping point on the Pilgrims' Route is packed with churches. The Iglesia de San Pedro de la Rua (Church of St. Peter of the Way) dominates the entire town. Built during the 12th century, it is Estella's oldest church. It has a massive portal, and its interior features a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic influences.
But its real gem is the small cloister tucked between the church and the towering cliff; its two remaining rows of columns are topped by some of the most intricately carved capitals in Europe, some depicting the life of Christ, but others portraying mythological subjects, with scenes of couples kiss ingvirtually unheard of in Catholic settings.
Camino de Santiago Astorga
Beautifully situated on a mountain spur 2,850 feet above sea level Astorga served as a staging point for the final third of the Pilgrims' Rout to Santlago. The Romans knew the city as Asturica Augusta, and Pliny the Elder descnbed it as magnificent. The Catedral de Santa Maria on the Plaza de la Catedral was built during the 13th century on the site of an 11 th century church; it has bell towers similar to those of Leon's cathedral as well as similar massive stained glass windows.
Its museum houses nteworthy works of medieval religious art. The cannonballs on the staircase are remnants of the Peninsular War against Napoleon. The four-panel painting of San Antonio Abad is worth a close look. The museum is open daily; admission charge.
Also visit the Palacio Episcopal (Episcopal Palace) on the Plaza de la Catedral. It's a fanciful 19th to 20thcentury mock medieval creation of soaring towers, circular staircases, and a light filled interior. The work of Antoni Gaudi´s most imaginative, spectacular creation outside Barcelona, it was commissioned by the bishop, a fellow Catalan after a fire destroyed its predecessor in 1886, but wasn't finished until 1909. The first two floors now house the Museo de los Caminos, a museum dedicated to the Pilgrims' Route, with an extensive collection of statues, paintings, notebooks, and journals from the heyday of the pilgrimage.
Villafranca del Bierzo Camino de Santiago
The town owes its founding to French pilgrims, who used the area as a stopover during the 11th century. The medieval buildings here include manor houses that line the famous Calle del Agua (Water Street), which was known to pilgrims as one of the route's most beautiful streets.
The Iglesia de Santiago, a typical example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture, boasts an excellent Puerta del Perdon (Portal of Forgiveness) opening onto the route. Exhausted pilgrims, unable to reach Santiago de Compostela, could pass through it into the church and receive the same indulgences as those given in Santiago.
The town's other churches all worth a visit include San Juan en San Fiz, a well-preserved Romanesque building; the 16th to 18th-century Santa Maria de Cluniaco, laid out in the form of a Latin cross; and San Nicolas, a 17th-century church that was part of a Jesuit college.
O Cebreiro Santiago de la Compostela
The ancient village of 0 Cebreiro (in Galician its Castilian rendering is EI Cebrero), not far from the Pedrafita do Cebreiro pass as you head west on the Pilgrims' Route, has a church and a pilgrims' hospice that were constructed as early as the 9th century, as well as some old reconstructed dry stone huts of Celtic origin. The Iglesia de Santa Marfa la Real became famous following an alleged miracle that was reported around 1300.
A priest of little faith supposedly was saying mass for a single peasant, who had struggled through wind and deep snow to get there. Suddenly, as the priest was musing that it was silly for anyone to brave such weather for only a bit of wine and bread, the host turned into flesh and the wine into blood.
Word of this miracle of the Holy Eucharist spread throughout Europe, and the chalice in which it is said to have occurred is still kept in the church. Also in town is a Museo Etnografico (Ethnographic Museum), housed in several converted circular stone huts of Celtic origin called pallozas.
Driving into Oviedo, surrounded by heavy industry, can be depressing; but the city is the least grim and industrial of the three, has the most interesting Casco Viejo (Old Town), and claims genuine historical significance. Early in the 9th century, Oviedo succeeded as the capital of the tiny kingdom of Asturias, the lone Christian outpost of otherwise Muslim Spain. A millennium of history, from the 8th to the 18th centuries, is represented by dozens of buildings in the Casco Viejo, including a handful of remarkable pre-Romanesque structures whose styles were 200 years before their time.
Oviedo Cathedral Spain
The Casco Viejo spreads around the 15th to 16th-century cathedral which has a marvelous Gothic tower, a charming cloister, one of Spain's most beautiful altarpieces, and a fine museum that houses, among other things an ivory cross. But the real treasure is the tiny holy chamber, built by Alfonso II in the 9th century to house reIics rescued from Toledo when it fell to the Moors, and altered in the 12th century. The chamber, which was incorporated into the later cathedral (and which was damaged by an explosion in 1934 and rebuilt after the Spanish Civil War), contains a startling array of priceless objects, including the gold-covered oak cross carried by Pelayo in the battle of Covadonga.
Behind the cathedral is the Museo Arqueologico Provincial, one of the most important in Spain, with collections from the Paleolithic period onward. The Oficina de Turismo de Oviedo is in front of the cathedral at 6 Plaza de la Catedral . Two minutes from Oviedo's Casco Viejo is the beautiful Parque de San Francisco, a huge square of gardens, trees, fountains, and romantic ruins of an old convent - a pleasant refuge from the urban sprawl, right in the city center.
A little farther off the beaten track is one of Asturias' most notable monuments, the 9th century Visigothic Iglesia de San Julitin de los Prados (Church of St. JuJian of the Fields, Santullano to the locals) in the northeast corner of town, which offers somewhat deteriorated murals based on Roman and Byzantine models. Two miles (3 km) from the city, within 250 yards of each other on El Monte Naranco (Naranco Hill), are two churches that are probably the finest examples of Asturian preRomanesque art.
Iglesia de Santa Marfa del Naranco and Iglesia de San Miguel de Lillo were both built by Ramiro I during his short 9th-century reign, and the former in particular is regarded as exemplary. Originally built as a palace, it included baths and attached living quarters until it was converted to a church during the 12th century.
A rectangular, two-floor building, it has a complex structure of barrel vaulting with reinforced arches resting on a system of blind arches. From the open-air upper floor, huge windows offer wide views. Other interesting features include the intricately chiseled stonework depicting hunting scenes, the Byzantine-style capitals, and the open porticoes at both ends, a revolutionary concept at the time. San Miguel de Lillo, just up the road, is a narrow, elevated building its height is three times the width of its central nave.
Aviles information
Dominated by heavy industry, Aviles is a major iron and steel producing center (as well as the site, just a bit out of town, of the Aeropuerto de Asturias, with flights to most major Spanish cities. The few historical landmarks it possesses are swamped by housing projects or smoke-stack scenarios, and the sea, only 2 miles (4 km) away, is one of Spain's pollution nightmares.
But the city does have a Casco Viejo (Old Town) aroud Galiana, La Ferreria, and Rivero Streets with several medieval mansions and a few 12th-century churches. The Iglesia de San Nicolas has three 14th and 15th-century chapels, and in front of the Iglesia de San Francisco there is an ornate 17th-century fountain. On Easter Sunday and Monday, the city celebrates the Fiesta del Bollu, when everybody dons folk costume to eat bollus de Pascua (Easter buns), drink white wine, and dance to traditional music.
Luarca Spain
tucked into an S-shaped cove with a delightful bay and fishing port, unrushed and unpretentious, Luarca is a maze of cobbled streets, stone stairways, and beautiful walks. The simple, colorful flower pots that decorate the whitewashed harbor walls are as near as the place gets to ostentation, except for the stupendously ornate cemetery, with marble burial niches and grand family tombs, which is worth some attention.It's located just before the lighthouse and Atalaya chapel, a 20-minute walk above the town.
Another excellent stroll begins by the bridge that crosses the town's small river, where a stone stairway leads up to the Ermita (Hermitage). While this structure is nothing exceptional, walk 10 minutes beyond it and you'll come to an old hamlet crammed with ancient herreos (granaries). Luarca has a fine beach, and it offers one of the last chances before Ribadeo to enjoy an evening of cider with the locals in a traditional Asturian Tavern.
The Pilgrim´s Route Santiago de la Compostela
The Camino de Santiago
The unlikely discovery of what were purported to be the remains of St. James the Apostle (Santiago in Spanish) in 813 made the town of Santiago de Compostela the third most important pilgrimage site in Christendom after Jerusalem and Rome, and turned St. James into Matamoros (the Moorslayer), a potent rallying symbol for Christians during the Reconquista (reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors). During the first half of the 12th century, Aymeric Picaud, a French priest, wrote five volumes of stories connected with St. James, including a detailed guide for pilgrims on the journey to Santiago.
The pilgrims, identified by the scallop shell (the emblem of St. James) pinned to their cloaks and by their floppy felt hats, believed that completion of the long and arduous journey excused them from half of their allotted time in purgatory. They came from all over Europe and represented a wide spectrum of languages and cultures. The Pilgrims' Route, as it developed over the centuries, provides one of the most concentrated collections of Romanesque churches and Gothic cathedrals in the world, and the art decorating these religious monuments is a brilliant merging of Moorish, French, Italian, and Spanish Christian influences.
Today the Pilgrims' Route has been designated a cultural Route of Europe by the European Union. It officially begins at the Tour St. Jacques in Paris, descends via Vezelay and Le Puy to the Pyrenees, and crosses into Spain via the Roncesvalles Pass. The Spanish portion runs some 506 miles (810 km) through the north of the country. Upon entering Spain near Roncesvalles in the region of Navarre, the route passes through Pamplona, Logrono in La Rioja, and Burgos and Leon in the region of CastileLeon on its way to the Galician capital, Santiago de Compostela.
Marked by crucifixes during medieval days, it is designated today by modern blue and yellow signs showing the scallop shell of St. James. It crosses the extremes of Spanish geography and climate, beginning high in the Pyrenees, then dropping into the fertile foothills and crossing the wide, dry, open plains, before rising again over the mountains separating Leon and Galicia and winding through the hilly, lush green landscape of the Spanish northwest.
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Modern pilgrims still follow the route primarily to view the massive cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and its shrine. Indeed, to round the last corner and come face to face with the cathedral's golden granite Baroque facade and two soaring towers is, as travel writer Jan Morris maintains one of the great moments of travel. , Although 3,000 to 4,000 pilgrims still arrive on foot each year (those who travel on foot, horseback, or by bicycle are entitled to three days' free food and lodging in Santiago, and often receive free room and board along the way, as well), for most visitors the journey can be made more Comfortably.
In addition to cars and buses, the splendid luxury train El Transcantabrico covers the North Atlantic coast from Santiago to San Sebastian via 0 Ferrol, Luarca, Oviedo, Covadonga, Santillana del Mar, Santander, and Bilbao, traversing the first and last stages of the pilgrimage by bus.Keep in mind when planning your itinerary that museums, churches, and other places of touristic interest are generally open from 9:30 or 10 AM to 1 or 2 PM and then again from around 4 or 5 to 7 or 8 PM; schedules may change with the seasons. Some museums may be open mornings only, and weekend hours are usually also shorter than on weekdays. Closing days tend to be Sundays or Mondays.
Estella Spain
Once the seat of the Kings of Navarre, this major stopping point on the Pilgrims' Route is packed with churches. The Iglesia de San Pedro de la Rua (Church of St. Peter of the Way) dominates the entire town. Built during the 12th century, it is Estella's oldest church. It has a massive portal, and its interior features a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic influences.
But its real gem is the small cloister tucked between the church and the towering cliff; its two remaining rows of columns are topped by some of the most intricately carved capitals in Europe, some depicting the life of Christ, but others portraying mythological subjects, with scenes of couples kiss ingvirtually unheard of in Catholic settings.
Camino de Santiago Astorga
Beautifully situated on a mountain spur 2,850 feet above sea level Astorga served as a staging point for the final third of the Pilgrims' Rout to Santlago. The Romans knew the city as Asturica Augusta, and Pliny the Elder descnbed it as magnificent. The Catedral de Santa Maria on the Plaza de la Catedral was built during the 13th century on the site of an 11 th century church; it has bell towers similar to those of Leon's cathedral as well as similar massive stained glass windows.
Its museum houses nteworthy works of medieval religious art. The cannonballs on the staircase are remnants of the Peninsular War against Napoleon. The four-panel painting of San Antonio Abad is worth a close look. The museum is open daily; admission charge.
Also visit the Palacio Episcopal (Episcopal Palace) on the Plaza de la Catedral. It's a fanciful 19th to 20thcentury mock medieval creation of soaring towers, circular staircases, and a light filled interior. The work of Antoni Gaudi´s most imaginative, spectacular creation outside Barcelona, it was commissioned by the bishop, a fellow Catalan after a fire destroyed its predecessor in 1886, but wasn't finished until 1909. The first two floors now house the Museo de los Caminos, a museum dedicated to the Pilgrims' Route, with an extensive collection of statues, paintings, notebooks, and journals from the heyday of the pilgrimage.
Villafranca del Bierzo Camino de Santiago
The town owes its founding to French pilgrims, who used the area as a stopover during the 11th century. The medieval buildings here include manor houses that line the famous Calle del Agua (Water Street), which was known to pilgrims as one of the route's most beautiful streets.
The Iglesia de Santiago, a typical example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture, boasts an excellent Puerta del Perdon (Portal of Forgiveness) opening onto the route. Exhausted pilgrims, unable to reach Santiago de Compostela, could pass through it into the church and receive the same indulgences as those given in Santiago.
The town's other churches all worth a visit include San Juan en San Fiz, a well-preserved Romanesque building; the 16th to 18th-century Santa Maria de Cluniaco, laid out in the form of a Latin cross; and San Nicolas, a 17th-century church that was part of a Jesuit college.
O Cebreiro Santiago de la Compostela
The ancient village of 0 Cebreiro (in Galician its Castilian rendering is EI Cebrero), not far from the Pedrafita do Cebreiro pass as you head west on the Pilgrims' Route, has a church and a pilgrims' hospice that were constructed as early as the 9th century, as well as some old reconstructed dry stone huts of Celtic origin. The Iglesia de Santa Marfa la Real became famous following an alleged miracle that was reported around 1300.
A priest of little faith supposedly was saying mass for a single peasant, who had struggled through wind and deep snow to get there. Suddenly, as the priest was musing that it was silly for anyone to brave such weather for only a bit of wine and bread, the host turned into flesh and the wine into blood.
Word of this miracle of the Holy Eucharist spread throughout Europe, and the chalice in which it is said to have occurred is still kept in the church. Also in town is a Museo Etnografico (Ethnographic Museum), housed in several converted circular stone huts of Celtic origin called pallozas.
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