SPAIN | Oviedo, Spain Travel Guide
Thursday, November 28, 2024
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La Catedral
Plaza Juan XXIII 5, Salamanca 37008,
Oviedo
Asturias
Spain
98 520 31 17
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: Entry 1.50 Euro for the holy chamber or 2.50 Euro.
Hours: Open summers Mon.-Sat. 4-8 pm, rest of the year10 am-1 pm and 4-7 pm; Museo Catedral is open summers Mon.-Sat. 4-8 pm, rest of the year Mon.-Fri. 10 am-1 pm and 4-7 pm, Sat. 10 am-1 pm and 4-6:30.
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Oviedo
Asturias
Spain
98 520 31 17
Type: Religious Site
Addmission Fee: Entry 1.50 Euro for the holy chamber or 2.50 Euro.
Hours: Open summers Mon.-Sat. 4-8 pm, rest of the year10 am-1 pm and 4-7 pm; Museo Catedral is open summers Mon.-Sat. 4-8 pm, rest of the year Mon.-Fri. 10 am-1 pm and 4-7 pm, Sat. 10 am-1 pm and 4-6:30.
Comments ( 0 )
Rating (0 Votes)
Though it has plenty of Gothic appeal, the intrigue of Oviedo’s cathedral is buried within. It was begun in the 14th century over the Pre-Romanesque re-mains of King Alfonso II’s Iglesia de San Salvador and the palace he had modeled on Charlemagne’s castle in Aachen. The Cámara Santa, the cathedral’s main attraction, was preserved from that period. This vaulted holy chamber, a World Heritage Site, rests beneath the Capilla de Santa Leocadia; it is all that survives from King Alfonso II’s palace, built in the ninth century as a coffer for holy relics.
A peek into the dank confines reveals the Caja de Agate, a bejeweled Romanesque chest that was a gift from Prince Fruela to the cathedral. The silver Arco Santo, in a protective glass case, is said to house sacred relics from the Holy Land, including a piece of the crucifix. The arc was salvaged from the Cathedral of Toledo, then capital of the Visigothic kingdom, when the Moors overran the city and effectively conquered Visigoth Spain. Those who survived the attack fled to the mountains in the north, the arc with them.
Above the arc are two jewel-encrusted crosses. The first, the Cruz de los Ángeles, dates to King Alfonso II’s time and is recognized as the symbol of Oviedo. The other is the Cruz de la Victoría, which legend holds was a wooden cross carried by King Pelayo during the triumphant battle over the Moors at Covadonga. It was later covered in jewels by King Alfonso III and emblazoned on the Asturian flag along with the Latin motto, “Hoc signo, tvetvr pivs, Hoc signo vinvitvr inimicvs” (this sign protects the pious and defeats the enemy).
Also worth visiting in the cathedral are the Capilla del Rey Casto (Chapel of the Chaste King), a mausoleum bearing the tombs of King Alfonso II and other royalty; the Jardine de los Peregrinos, originally a graveyard for expired pilgrims; the Museo Diocesano, housing liturgical relics; and the Gothic cloister and tower, the latter of which can be climbed for a lookout on the city.
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