Exploring and Birding Oviedo

For us Oviedo marked both an ending and a new beginning. We took a rest day here after finishing the Camino San Salvador and before beginning the Camino Primitivo.  Oviedo is the capital of the Principality of Asturias, and it is the administrative and economic center of the region.  Despite its importance to modern Spain, it retains an older, medieval feel which we very much enjoyed. 

There are a great many things to do and see in Oviedo, including a large number of historic churches to visit.  However, the point of a rest day is to give the body a bit of a break, and in our case to catch up on blogs, so we mostly limited our exploring to the Cathedral of San Salvador and its immediate surroundings. 

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour, or Cathedral of San Salvador, is a Roman Catholic Church located in the heart of Oviedo.  There is a frequently repeated Spanish saying on the Camino San Salvador that "He who goes to Santiago and not to San Salvador visits the servant and not the Lord."  This is because inside the Holy Chamber, or the Camara Santa of the Cathedral of San Salvador is the famous Shroud of Oviedo.  This Sudarium is believed to be the cloth that was wrapped around Jesus' face after his crucifixion.  It was found in his burial chamber, and is mentioned in the Holy Bible. 

The chapel where the shroud is kept was built in 840 AD by King Alfonso II of Asturias.  Little is known about the original building, but the Cathedral was founded by King Fruela I of Asturias in 781 AD.  It was enlarged in 802 AD by his successor, Alfonso II, who was also known as Alfonso the Chaste, and who made Oviedo the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias. 

 

 

The Cathedral was extensively restored in the 12th and 13th centuries and today displays a variety of architectural styles, ranging from pre-Romanesque to Baroque, and including Romanesque, Gothic, and Reneaissance.  When we went inside for a visit, we discovered that the inside was just as interesting and elaborate as the outside.  

The main alter was very ornate, and the central nave was surrounded by numerous side chapels, including one dedicated to Saint James.  It took quite a while to explore all the statues and artwork.  The cathedral also featured a beautiful cloister surrounding a small green space, which as always was one of my favourite parts.  I found the small, cool, dark crypts located off the cloister to be particularly interesting.   

The Camara Santa was located on the second floor of the Cathedral, and when we visited a very large tour group was inside.  The Shroud is located within the chamber along with various other treasures, but it can only be viewed by the public on certain Holy days each year.  The third floor of the Cathedral houses a museum which contains a great many artifacts and relics which are definitely worth exploring.

There was a lot of art and history on display, but there was also a large school group doing an assignment that seemed to involve doing a kind of treasure hunt through the museum to answer questions.  They were energetic and enthusiastic, but it was a bit difficult to stay out of their way, so we didn't end up spending too much time exploring the museum.  I would definitely say it is well worth a visit, and it is included in the price of admission to the Cathedral. 

After visiting the Cathedral we stopped for a coffee at one of the cafés that line the plaza out front.  Although this plaza is by no means as busy as the one in Santiago, there was a small but steady stream of pilgrims filtering in, and some sat down in the square to look up at the impressive facade of the Cathedral. A bronze plaque embedded in the ground at the side of the Cathedral marks the end-point for the Camino San Salvador and the beginning point for the Camino Primitivo.  The spot can also be a stop on the Camino del Norte, and perhaps it can be other things as well.  In any case, it feels like a special place on the Caminos. 

After visiting the cathedral we wandered some of the winding medieval streets of Oviedo.  We made a stop at the Mercado El Fontan, a covered market in a large Victorian style building which was built between 1882 and 1885.  It houses numerous stalls featuring local produce, fresh meat, fish, and veggies, and local Asturian delicacies like chorizo, cheeses, and large colourful beans.  We spent some time exploring and purchased a few things to send home to family members.  As it turned out, mailing things out of Spain without a Spanish address is extremely complicated, but the very patient and nice staff at the post office guided us through the process.

 

After finally leaving the post office we continued our exploration of the city, ending up at the Campo San Francisco, a large, central park with a canopy of huge old trees.  We purchased two ice creams and wandered the stone pathways that criss-crossed the park.  Many statues of important historical figures were displayed throughout the well-landscaped, lush, green space.  There was also a small pond in the middle, which was filled with interesting birds.  We spent quite a bit of time enjoying the birds in the peaceful, shady park before eventually making our way back to our room.

In the late afternoon we headed back out, and took the opportunity to stop at a small cidereria in a quiet, enclosed, out-of-the-way courtyard.  A couple locals were at the surrounding tables, and we joined them under the shade of the umbrellas.  As is traditional, the waiter poured the first sip of cider, making an impressive presentation.  Asturian cider is strongly tart and a little sour, and unlike typical hard apple ciders produced in North America.  I can't say I particularly liked the taste, but we enjoyed trying a local delicacy, and sitting in the quiet Asturian courtyard, at the heart of the ancient Asturian city felt like a fitting ending to our Camino San Salvador, and a promising beginning to the Camino Primitivo.