Oviedo and the Asturian Pre-Romanesque

UNESCO World Heritage Site (Monuments Of Oviedo And The Kingdom Of The Asturias, Inscribed 1985 And Extended 1998), Ninth Century Pre Romanesque Buildings From The Only Christian Kingdom On The Peninsula · Oviedo, Asturias

Asturias was the one corner of Iberia the Moors never held, and for a century and a half it was the only Christian kingdom on the peninsula, which is why it has buildings that exist nowhere else. The Asturian pre-Romanesque is a ninth-century style that developed in isolation before Romanesque reached Spain: tall, narrow, barrel-vaulted, with carved window screens and decoration that looks eastern rather than European. Two of the best, Santa Maria del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, stand together on a hillside two kilometres above Oviedo and are the reason this row exists; Naranco was built as a royal hall rather than a church, which is why it looks wrong for one. Oviedo itself is a compact, wealthy, rainy city with a Gothic cathedral holding the Holy Chamber, a covered market, and a cider culture taken seriously enough to have its own pouring technique. It is the quieter half of Asturias and it gets a fraction of the Picos traffic.

Monte Naranco, Oviedo, Asturias, 33012, Spain

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The structure: SANTA MARIA DEL NARANCO AND SAN MIGUEL DE LILLO keep SHORT HOURS with a MIDDAY BREAK, a MONDAY CLOSURE and guided-only access to parts, and they shrink further in winter - this is the single thing to confirm before travelling. San Julian de los Prados keeps its own short hours. The cathedral restricts sightseeing during services. The Museo de Bellas Artes is free and closes Mondays.

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