Oviedo lies on the slopes of a hill some 30km/20mi from the north coast of Spain, on a fertile plateau enclosed by the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. Chief town of the province, it is also the spiritual and intellectual center of Asturias, the see of a bishop and a university town. Its economy
is centered on mining and industry (arms production). The town itself is not particularly attractive, though there are some pleasant squares around the cathedral.
History
The town grew up in the eighth Century around a monastery on the site of ancient Ovetum. Alfonso II moved the Asturian court to Oviedo, which from 810 to 924 was capital of the kingdom then warring against the Moors, until Asturias was united with León and Castile. Oviedo's development into an industrial town started in the 18th century, when mining began in the surrounding coalfield and the Royal Arms Manufactory was established. Most of the town dates from this period. During the 1934 rising of the Asturian miners and the almost two-year-long siege of the town by Republican forces during the Civil War (1936-37) many buildings, including the Cámara Santa, the cathedral and the university, were severely damaged. Since then a whole new district has been developed to the southwest of the town.
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