|
 Oviedo
is the capital of Asturias. Despite its high concentration of
industry and mining, the area has unspoiled scenery. Only 26 Kms.
(16 miles) from the coast, Oviedo is very pleasant in summer, when
much of Spain is unbearably hot. It makes an ideal base for
excursions along the Costa Verde.
A peaceful city today, Oviedo has had a long and violent history.
Razed in the 8th century during the Reconquest, it was rebuilt in an
architectural style known as Asturian pre-Romanesque, which predated
many of the greatest achievements under the Moors. Remarkably, this
architectural movement was in flower when the rest of Europe lay
under the black cloud of the Dark Ages.
As late as the 1930s, Oviedo was suffering violent upheavals. An
insurrection in the mining areas on October 5, 1934, led to a
seizure of the town by miners, who set up a revolutionary government.
The subsequent fighting led to the destruction of many historical
monuments. The cathedral was also damaged, and the university was
set on fire. Even more destruction came during the Spanish Civil War. |
