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OVIEDO

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 391 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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OVIEDO , an episcopal See also:

city and See also:capital of the See also:Spanish See also:province of Oviedo; i6 m. S. of the See also:Bay of See also:Biscay, on the See also:river Nalon, and on the See also: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-See also:west by the Sierra de Naranco. The four See also:main streets of Oviedo, which meet in a central square called the Plaza See also:Mayor or Plaza de la Constitucion, are the roads connecting Gijon and Leon (north and See also:south) and See also: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 See also:century, of which only the Camara See also:Santa remains. The west front has a fine See also: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 See also:chest of See also:cedar, overlaid with See also:silver reliefs of scenes in the lives of See also: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 See also:gold and silver See also:plate. The cathedral library has some curious old See also:MSS., including a See also:deed of See also: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 See also: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 See also:Julian, also of very See also: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 See also: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 See also:marble-See also:quarrying, and the manufacture of arms, See also:cotton and woollen fabrics, See also:iron goods, See also:leather and matches. Oviedo, founded in the reign of Fruela (762), became the fixed See also: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 See also: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 See also:War, when it was twice plundered by the See also:French—under See also:Ney in 18o9 and under See also:Bonnet in 181o.

End of Article: OVIEDO

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OVID [PUBLIUS OvID1us NASO] (43 B.C.–A.D. 17) 		[next]
OVIEDO Y VALDES, GONZALO FERNANDEZ DE (1478-1557)

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