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Oviedo - Basílica del Salvador

From the Plaza Mayor in Oviedo, Calle la Rúa goes north to the Gothic Cathedral (the Basílica del Salvador, 1388-1498), on the site of an earlier church built by King Fruela I in the eighth century. The west front has three dissimilar doorways, with a Baroque relief of the Transfiguration on the central doorway. The 82m/269ft high tower, completed in 1539, is one of the finest in Spain. From the top there are extensive views.

Must-see attractions nearby:
Basílica del Salvador
Things to See

Camara Santa

From the south transept a flight of steps leads to the Cámara Santa, in which is preserved the Arca Santa (Holy Chest), a precious reliquary brought to Asturias for safety after the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo fell to the Moors. Many pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela also visited Oviedo to do honor to it. The reliquary chapel is preceded by an ante-chapel, enlarged in the 12th century, with very beautiful figures of Apostles, in pairs, against the right- hand wall and a head of Christ over the door, all dating from the 12th century. In the reliquary chapel itself is the Arca Santa, covered with silver plates adorned with reliefs, which contains relics from the Holy Land, together with a variety of other treasures - the ninth Century Angels' Cross (Cruz de los Ángeles), a cedarwood cross adorned with gold filigree and precious stones; the Victory Cross (Cruz de la Victoria), which Pelayo is said to have carried in the battle of Covadonga (see Picos de Europa) and which Alfonso III refurbished in 1908; an agate chest of the same period; a sixth century Byzantine diptych; and two 13th century diptychs, one of silver and the other of ivory. Under the Cámara Santa is the Capilla de Leocadia, which contains 12th century tombs.

Cathedral - Cloister

Adjoining the south transept of the Oviedo Cathedral is a beautiful cloister (ninth-15th century), with a number of monuments and pilgrims' gravestones.

Cathedral - Interior

In the Capilla Mayor in Oviedo can be seen the Gothic tomb of Archbishop Arias de Villar (c. 1500). In the north aisle is the Baroque Capilla de Santa Eulalia, with an 11th century silver gilt casket containing the relics of Santa Eulalia. Opening off the north transept is the Capilla del Rey Casto, which Alfonso II, the Chaste, made the Panteón de los Reyes, the burial-place of the Asturian kings (though in fact it contains only a single royal sarcophagus, dating from the eighth century).

Cathedral - Retablo

The most striking feature of the harmonious interior of the Oviedo Cathedra is the huge and magnificent retablo in the Capilla Mayor (by Giralte de Bruxelles and Juan de Balmaseda, 1520), with numerous panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ.
Address
Basílica del Salvador
Calle la Rúa
Oviedo
Spain
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