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OVIEDO , an episcopal city and capital of theSee also: Spanish province of Oviedo; i6 m
.
S. of the See also: Bay of Biscay, on the See also: river Nalon, and on the Leon-Gijon Oviedo-Trubia and Oviedo-Infiesto See also: railways
.
Pop
.
(1900) 48,103
.
Oviedo is built on a See also: hill rising from a broad and picturesque valley, which is bounded on the
See also: north-west by the Sierra de Naranco
.
The four See also: main streets of Oviedo, which meet in a central square called the Plaza Mayor or Plaza de la Constitucion, are the roads connecting Gijon and Leon (north and See also: south) and Santander and See also: Grado (See also: east and west)
.
The streets are clean and well lighted; the projecting See also: roofs of the houses give a characteristic effect, and some portions of the old Calle de la Plateria are highly picturesque
.
In the Plaza Mayor is the handsome Casa Consistorial or See also: town See also: hall dating from 1662; the Jesuit
See also: church of
See also: San Isidro (1578), and some See also: ancient palaces of the Asturian See also: nobility are architecturally interesting
.
The university was founded by See also: Philip III. in 1604; connected with it are a
See also: fine library and See also: physical and chemical museums
.
The See also: Gothic See also: cathedral, founded in 1388, occupies the site of a See also: chapel founded in the 8th century, of which only the Camara See also: Santa remains
.
The west front has a fine portico of ornamented See also: arches between the two towers
.
The interior contains some fine stained See also: glass, but has been much disfigured with See also: modern See also: rococo additions
.
The Camara Santa (dating from 802) ccntains the famous See also: area of Oviedo, an iith-century See also: Byzantine chest of See also: cedar, overlaid with See also: silver reliefs of scenes in the lives of Christ, the Virgin and the apostles
.
In it are preserved some highly sacred See also: relics, two crosses dating from the 8th and 9th centuries
and other valuable pieces of gold and silver See also: plate
.
The cathedral library has some curious old See also: MSS., including a deed of gift made by See also: Alphonso II. of See also: Asturias in 812, and a collection of illuminated documents of the 12th century, called the Libro g6tico
.
On the Sierra de Naranco is the ancient Santa Maria de Naranco, originally built by Ramiro I. of Asturias in 85o as a palace, and afterwards turned into a church
.
Higher up the hill is San See also: Miguel de Lino, also of the 9th century; and on the road to Gijon, about a mile outside the town, is the Santullano or church of St Julian, also of very early date
.
Few towns in See also: Spain have getter See also: schools for See also: primary and higher See also: education, and there are a See also: literary and scientific institute, a meteorological See also: observatory, a school for teachers, a school of See also: art, adult classes for artisans, an archaeological museum and several public See also: libraries
.
Oviedo is the centre of a thriving See also: trade in agricultural products; its other See also: industries are marble-See also: quarrying, and the manufacture of arms, See also: cotton and woollen fabrics, iron goods, See also: leather and matches
.
Oviedo, founded in the reign of Fruela (762), became the fixed residence of the See also: kings of the Asturias in the See also: time of Alphonso II., and continued to be so until about 924, when the advancing reconquest of Spain from the Moors led them to remove their capital to Leon
.
From that date the See also: history of the city was comparatively uneventful, until the See also: Peninsular War, when it was twice plundered by the French—under See also: Ney in 18o9 and under See also: Bonnet in 181o
.
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[back] OVID [PUBLIUS OvID1us NASO] (43 B.C.–A.D. 17) |
[next] GONZALO FERNANDEZ DE OVIEDO Y VALDES (1478-1557) |
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