The Principality of Asturias is located on the Cantabrian coast of Spain and is bordered by Galicia to the west, Cantabria to the east and León to the south. Autonomous Region and Province have the same name. A million people live in Asturias, which with its approximately 10,000 km² is the tenth largest region in Spain.
Asturias stretches from the Atlantic coast, known as the Costa Verde, to the Cantabrian Mountains. The most spectacular mountain, however, is the 2,518 m high Naranjo de Bulnes wikipediacommons. From a geographic point of view, the region can be described as a coastal mountain range. This characteristic, together with its history, results in a unique combination of nature, culture and gastronomy that Asturias' tourist offer benefits from.
1 Oviedo is the capital of the region and has around 200,000
inhabitants. Recommended are the old town with the cathedral and the
pre-Romanesque monuments in and around the city, which have been
declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also a nice range of
museums and it is worth taking a stroll through the modern center of the
city.
2 Gijón is an industrial port city with around 280,000
inhabitants. Worth seeing are the ruins of the Roman thermal baths, the
building of the Universidad Laboral and a walk from the marina through
the old town (Cimadevilla) to the end of the beach of San Lorenzo. The
cultural offer of the city (La Semana Negra, Feria Internacional de
Muestras de Asturias, etc.) is also worth mentioning.
3 Avilés is an
industrial port city on the banks of the Ria de Avilés with around
100,000 inhabitants. The old town, which is just as dignified as Oviedo,
is recommended. The city is experiencing a renaissance after the
industrial crisis of the 1980s: the Ria has been rehabilitated and the
Oscar Niemeyer cultural center is being built on an island in the Ria.
Its modern architecture and planned cultural program will transform the
city. The Carnival of Avilés is one of the most famous in Asturias.
4
Llanes is an eastern fishing village of about 12,000 inhabitants,
located near the Picos de Europa Park. It is an important tourist
center. In terms of architecture, its main points are the old town and
the Casas de Indianos, villas built in the 19th and early 20th centuries
by emigrants who emigrated to America. But above all, the strategic
location and the nature of Llanes make this village a popular holiday
destination. Its beaches have light, fine sand and a unique view of the
Picos de Europa mountains.
5 Ribadesella is a fishing village of
about 6000 inhabitants, bordering Llanes to the east. Recommended are
the old town, the promenade on the banks of the Ria and its beach. The
first Sunday after August 2nd, the biggest Fiesta of Asturias (Las
Piraguas) is celebrated here due to the international canoe competition
that takes place between Arriondas and Ribadesella. In the municipal
district, a visit to some caves is recommended, e.g. B. the cave of Tito
Bustillo with its Paleolithic paintings. The village has recently become
fashionable because some of Princess Letizia's relatives live in
Ribadesella.
6 Sieros
7 Langreo
8 Mieres
9 Castrillon
10
San Martin del Rey Aurelio
11 Corvera de Asturias
12 Cangas del
Narcea
13 Cangas de Onís
The official language is Spanish. Asturiano (Bable), the original language of the Kingdom of Asturias and León, is also spoken. It is not an official language but protected and supported by the regional authorities, widely used by Asturians, especially in rural areas, and its influence on local Spanish is easy to notice.
By plane
Asturias Airport (OVD) is located 47 km from the capital,
Oviedo, 40 km from Gijón and 13 km from Avilés. From there you can take
a bus (ALSA; e.g.: Oviedo, approx. €6) or a taxi (approx. €1/km) to
these cities. The airport has many national (Madrid, Barcelona,
Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Seville, Mallorca and the Canary Islands)
and international flights (London, Paris, Brussels and Geneva) with
different airlines (Iberia, Air Nostrum, clickAir, Air Europa ,
easyJet).
By train
Asturias can be reached from Madrid by
train (RENFE) in four and a half hours.
By bus
The company
ALSA (http://www.alsa.es) offers numerous destinations both within Spain
and abroad.
By car
Asturias is connected to the Spanish
motorway network. There are direct connections towards León/Madrid
(AP66/A6) and Santander/Bilbao (A8). You have to be aware that many
stretches of the A8 in the direction of Galicia are still under
construction.
Asturian cuisine, like the rest of the country, is Mediterranean.
Because of its coastal location, it has a wide variety of fresh fish and
seafood, typically larger than those found in the Mediterranean. Thanks
to the mountains and the humid climate, the Asturian cuisine, unlike
most of Spain, has different types of meat and dairy products of the
highest quality. Local and foreign vegetables and fruits are also
available in the appropriate seasons.
Traditional cuisine often
consists of high-calorie dishes. The reason for this is easy to
understand when you consider that in the past the majority of the
population was engaged in agriculture, fishing or coal mining.
Logically, nowadays Asturians' everyday menus have become much lighter.
Don't miss the following recommendations:
Fabada is the most
typical and well-known dish of Asturian cuisine. It's a white bean stew
with bacon, black pudding, paprika sausage and lacón (a type of ham but
made from the front legs of the pig).
Cheese is very popular and
there are many varieties. The most famous is perhaps Cabrales, a type of
blue cheese made in the village of the same name. There are also other
varieties made from cow's or goat's milk, which can sometimes be smoked
or flavored with paprika. You can order a tabla of cheeses in the
restaurants so that you can taste many different kinds. In this case,
the cheese is usually served along with nuts and apple jelly.
Fish is
also very popular in Asturian cuisine. Depending on the season and
location, the varieties can vary greatly. The small restaurants in
fishing villages are recommended, although the quality of the fish in
the towns is also very good.
You can order seafood in almost every
restaurant. The most famous local seafood, and sometimes ordered alive,
is centollo (spider crab), bogavante (a type of lobster), llampares (a
type of clam), bígaros (small clams commonly eaten as tapas), navajas,
(razor clams) and many Varieties of Shrimp.
Sidra (cider) is the
national drink. It is consumed everyday in the countless Sidrerías and
also outdoors. In order for the sidra to be mixed with air and thus get
the right taste, it has to be served (escanciar) in a certain way, in
which the distance between the glass and the bottle is about one meter.
Usually, the escanciador places the bottle overhead and the glass at
waist height. Each glass (culín) must be drunk in one gulp so that the
sidra is not de-aerated. As one normally divides the glass, one always
has to leave a bit of cider at the end and throw it away in a way that
cleans the glass again. Another type of sidra that is carbonated and
resembles sparkling wine is also consumed at Christmas.
The Asturian
desserts are also recommended. Arroz con leche (rice pudding),
casadielles (small rolls of puff pastry and filled with nutmeg),
frixuelos (sweet pancakes), and various types of tarts are very typical.
As in the rest of the country, the nightlife is very lively. In the cities there are plenty of pubs with a more or less separate dance floor, usually open until 4am. If you want to party longer you have to go to certain pubs or discos. In summer, the nightlife in the villages is also very lively and we recommend the many Fiestas de Prao and Romerías, fiestas that are celebrated in a meadow (Prao). One must always bear in mind that nightlife in Spain starts at midnight.
In general, Asturias is safe. Even in the city centers, it is almost safe to walk on the streets at night. Nevertheless, it is advisable to observe the usual safety measures (e.g. consider your bags and backpacks, etc.). In the case of certain big fiestas, the safety risk for unsuspecting tourists can exceptionally become higher than normal.
Like the entire Spanish Cantabrian coast, Asturias enjoys a humid,
temperate climate with frequent rains and mild temperatures all year
round. It rarely snows (except in the mountains) and in summer the
temperature mostly stays around 25 C°.
Useful features of the
Asturian weather:
Because of the breeze, the summer temperature
on the coast is always a few degrees lower than in the hinterland.
It
can be very local. Therefore, the weather forecast is not as
confidential as in other regions of Spain. (E.g. it can be sunny in the
hinterland and cloudy on the coast or vice versa).
El orbayu is a
drizzle that is particularly common in summer.
Due to climate change,
the weather has become warmer and drier. Droughts are more frequent and
the ski season has become shorter.
Asturias is located on the northern coast of Spain. It limits to the
west with the province of Lugo (Galicia), to the east with Cantabria, to
the south with the province of León and to the north with the Cantabrian
Sea.
Its territory is 10,603.57 km² and it has a population that
slightly exceeds one million inhabitants. It is the most mountainous
Spanish autonomous community and one of the most mountainous regions in
Europe, with 35% of the land with slopes greater than 50% and 65% with
slopes greater than 30%. It is located in the so-called Green Spain.
The territory occupied by the autonomous community of the
Principality of Asturias largely coincides with that granted to the
Asturians, in the administrative division carried out by Vespasian in
the year 69, once the situation that followed the Roman conquest was
stabilized. This administrative division located the border of the
Trasmontana Asturians between the Sella and Navia rivers, in what became
known as Conventus Asturum, and at the same time recognized a cultural
specificity.
After the death of King Don Pelayo (around the year
737), the Asturian territory extended from the Eo River to the Asón
River.
In most cartographic maps made since the 16th century,
Asturias is seen divided into two: the Asturias of Oviedo and the
Asturias of Santillana. Those of Oviedo had their western border on the
Eo River and on the eastern part in the council of Ribadesella, where
those of Santillana began. This reached just beyond Santander, with its
eastern border located on the Asón River. To the south, the Asturias
bordered the Cantabrian mountain range.
In the cartographic map
edited in 1700 by Charles Hubert (first geographer of the King of Spain)
it begins to be named as the Principality of Asturias, still being
divided into Oviedo and Santillana. In the year 1778, the Asturias of
Santillana were definitively integrated into the province of the Nine
Valleys of Cantabria.
The current outline is established in the
territorial division of 1833, which divided Spain into provinces in
imitation of the French one. It includes the territories of the
historical region of Asturias de Oviedo, adding the councils of
Ribadedeva, Peñamellera Alta and Peñamellera Baja that belonged to
Asturias de Santillana, now in the Province of Cantabria.
Asturias is a mountainous and coastal community that has numerous
well-known natural enclaves, some of them protected under different
figures. Among them, those recognized by UNESCO as biosphere reserves
stand out:
The comprehensive nature reserve of Muniellos, in
southwest Asturias, between the municipalities of Cangas del Narcea and
Ibias;
The Somiedo natural park, in the municipality of the same
name;
The Redes natural park, in Caso and Sobrescobio;
The Picos
de Europa national park, which also extends through the neighboring
communities of Cantabria and Castilla y León; and
The Las Ubiñas-La
Mesa natural park, in the municipalities of Lena, Quirós and Teverga.
That of the Eo River, Oscos and Tierras de Burón, distributed between
the Tierras de Burón - in the Galician province of Lugo - and the
Asturian councils of Castropol, Vegadeo, Taramundi, San Tirso de Abres,
Villanueva de Oscos, Santa Eulalia de Oscos and San Martín de Oscos.
The natural park of Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias. It is located
in the municipalities of Degaña, Cangas del Narcea and Ibias, and the
Muniellos comprehensive nature reserve is also integrated into it.
The marine protected area and special conservation area of El Cachucho,
an underwater mountain located off the coast of Ribadesella. First
marine protected area in Spanish waters.
The population is concentrated in the valleys of the central part of the country and on the coast with its urban centers of Gijón and Avilés, while the low and high mountain regions are sparsely populated.
In addition to the official language Spanish, Asturian is also spoken in Asturias, and in the western peripheral areas along the border with Galicia a transitional dialect of Asturian and Galician is spoken, the so-called Galician-Asturian or Eonaviego.
The largest cities in Asturias are the port city of Gijón (Asturian Xixón) with 271,780 inhabitants, the capital Oviedo (Asturian Uviéu) with 219,686 inhabitants and the industrial city of Avilés with 78,182 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019).
The term "Asturias" is named after its ancient settlers, the Astures,
primitive inhabitants of the banks of the Astura River (Esla). The name
Astures encompassed not only those from the Meseta (cismontanos), but
also those from the north (transmontanos).
"Astura" must have
taken the root from the Celtic stour, which means "river." This toponym
appears in Brittany, where Pliny speaks of the river Stur; Today there
are three Rivers Stour in Kent, Suffolk and Dorset. At the mouth of the
Elbe there is another river Stör, formerly called Sturia. Likewise, in
Piedmont the Celtic tribe of the Esturi and a Stura river were located.
The same root survives even today in Gaelic and Breton in the words ster
and stour with the meaning of "river."
The coat of arms of Asturias is legislated by Law 2/1984, of April 27 (Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, BOPA, number 103, of May 4) and its colors by Decree 118/1984, of October 31 ( BOPA number 276, of November 29). The flag of Asturias is legislated by Law 4/1990, of December 19 (BOPA number 6, of January 9, 1991).
Asturias was occupied by human groups since the Lower Paleolithic and
during the Upper Paleolithic it was characterized by the cave paintings
of the east of the Community. In the Mesolithic, an original culture
developed, the Asturian. The Bronze Age was then introduced,
characterized by megaliths and tumuli. During the Iron Age, with roots
in the local tradition of the late Atlantic Bronze Age, a set of
communities developed that built and lived in forts. These populations
evolved locally throughout the first millennium before our era, until
the arrival of the Romans to the northwest of the peninsula, who
perceived these populations as part of an ethnic reality (the Astures)
that did not correspond to reality since these communities hardly They
maintained a clear awareness of belonging to a sociopolitical structure
beyond local, regional units, structured in territorial units such as
valleys or river basins.
The Roman conquest of the Celts between
29 and 19 BC. C. in the Cantabrian wars the conquest of Hispania ends.
During this Roman period, the mining work carried out by the Roman State
stood out, with the gold of Western Asturias as the center of the
territorial scheme in the high-imperial era. Mining exploitation of gold
wealth declined in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. C. in favor of the Roman
mines in the region of Dacia, conquered for the Empire at that time
(total exhaustion of mines, such as Las Médulas in what was the south of
Asturias. The other complementary scheme at this time was agricultural
exploitations, Roman villas such as Veranes (Gijón) or Memorana (Lena),
in addition to the emergence of fortified centers such as Gegionem
(Gijón).
After a poor Romanization, the Visigoths tried to
exercise control over the territory during the 6th century without
result, which ended at the beginning of the 8th century with the Muslim
invasion. The territory, as had happened with Rome and Toledo, was not
easy to subdue, establishing de facto independence in 722 as the Kingdom
of Asturias after Pelayo's victory in the battle of Covadonga. From then
on, the small stronghold of Gothic and Asturian nobles began to recover
the territory lost to the Muslim conquest of the year 711, incorporating
under its orbit the territory that had become no man's land from the Eo
River to the Duero and creating during this period an art of its own,
the Asturian pre-Romanesque art that spread throughout its domains, to
the south of current Galicia. In the 10th century the center of power
moved from Oviedo to León, giving rise to the Kingdom of León. From then
on, the isolation caused by the Cantabrian mountain range, the transfer
of the decision-making centers of the Kingdom and the movement of the
border with the taifa kingdoms of al-Andalus made historical references
scarce. After the rebellion of the son of Enrique II of Trastámara, the
Principality of Asturias was established. If there were several attempts
at independence, the best known were Count Gonzalo Peláez or Queen
Urraca who, despite achieving important victories, were ultimately
defeated by the monarch's troops through different pacts. In the 16th
century the territory reached 100,000 inhabitants for the first time, a
number that doubled with the arrival of American corn in the following
century. At the beginning of the 17th century, the University of Oviedo
was founded following the idea of Fernando Valdés Salas. Despite the
modest nature of the institution in its first centuries, important names
of the Enlightenment movement such as Benito Feijoo, Felipe Ignacio
Canga and Jovellanos passed through it, as well as other prominent
politicians of the 19th century such as Agustín Argüelles.
On May
8, 1808, the former General Junta of the Principality of Asturias
declared war on France and proclaimed itself sovereign, creating its own
army and sending ambassadors abroad, being the first official body of
Spain to take that step. At that time, their own military bodies were
formed, such as the Candás and Luanco Regiment. On January 1, 1820, the
officer Rafael del Riego, a native of the Asturian parish of Tuña,
revolted in Cádiz proclaiming the return to the Constitution of 1812.
Starting in 1830, the systematic exploitation of coal began and the
industrial revolution began in the community, especially in the central
area of the Principality. Later, powerful steel industries were
established in La Felguera, Mieres and Gijón in the 19th century, and in
Avilés in the second half of the 20th, as well as the naval industry
since the 19th century.
On October 6, 1934, a revolutionary
uprising began in the mining area caused by the refusal of the
revolutionaries to allow the CEDA to enter the government, something
that represented an advance of fascism in Spain. The Revolution of 1934
had Asturias as its main stage, leaving Oviedo largely devastated.
Buildings such as the University, which was attacked by the
revolutionaries and whose library held bibliographic funds that could
not be recovered, suffered serious damage; or the Campoamor theater, in
this case burned down by government forces. The Holy Chamber in the
cathedral was dynamited although its jewels were miraculously saved.
On August 25, 1937, the Sovereign Council of Asturias and León was
proclaimed in Gijón, chaired by the union leader and socialist Belarmino
Tomás, ending the conflict on October 20, 1937 with the victory of the
national troops on the northern front.
After twenty years of
economic stagnation, the definitive industrialization of Asturias
occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, during the Spanish economic miracle
(1959-1973). Strongly affected by the industrial reconversion of the
1990s, the Principality attempted to enhance its abundant landscape and
natural resources with a view to the tourism sector, a policy that
continues to this day, in the 21st century.
The organization and political structure of the Principality of
Asturias is governed by the Statute of Autonomy, in force since January
30, 1982. According to the Statute, the institutional bodies of the
Principality of Asturias are three: the General Meeting, the Government
Council and the president. The form of government of the Principality is
parliamentary: the General Board is the legislative power that elects,
on behalf of the Asturian people, the president of the Principality of
Asturias. The president of the Principality of Asturias is the head of
the Government Council, the head of the executive branch, and responds
politically to the General Board, which, through a motion of censure or
a question of confidence, can remove him from his duties.
Among
the functions of the General Meeting are the approval of budgets, and
the guidance and control of the action of the Governing Council. It is
made up of 45 deputies, elected for a period of four years through
universal suffrage within a system of proportional representation in
which the allocation of deputies is based on the D'Hondt method.
For administrative purposes, the Principality of Asturias is divided
into 78 councils, legally equivalent to the municipality. The entity
smaller than the council is the parish, which does not necessarily have
to coincide with the ecclesiastical parish. Within each parish there can
be different neighborhoods and villages.
The statute of autonomy
also speaks of the possibility of organizing regions. Although they have
not yet been legally developed, there are some regional administrations
established by various municipalities or councils for the provision of
services that are municipal jurisdiction, as well as for the
organization, planning and promotion of the region outside. These are:
the Avilés region, which includes the municipalities of Avilés, Gozón,
Illas, Corvera and Castrillón, and the Nalón region, which includes
Langreo, San Martín, Laviana, Caso and Sobrescobio.
For electoral
purposes in Asturias there are three constituencies: central, western
and eastern, being the largest of them and for population purposes, the
central one.
From a judicial point of view, Asturias is divided
into 18 judicial districts, with first instance courts in the capital of
each of them.
From a health point of view, Asturias has 8 Health
Areas, 2 Health Districts, 68 Basic Health Zones and 16 Special Health
Zones.
Asturias has a public university, the University of Oviedo, promoted by the inquisitor general Fernando Valdés Salas at the end of the 16th century, who had already founded the College of San Gregorio, for the study of Grammar and Latinity, and the College of Recoleta Orphan Girls. . The university started in 1607. Today it has numerous campuses spread between Oviedo, Gijón and Mieres. It has 20,000 students annually and its faculties of medicine and engineering as well as its Erasmus programs stand out. Asturias also has private university schools. Vocational training education in Asturias has its origins in master's schools founded by industrial companies since the end of the 19th century, today highlighting several vocational training campuses in Oviedo, Gijón, Avilés and Langreo.
The economy of Asturias has a declining primary sector that employs
6% of the active population with cattle farming, highlighting dairy
production, agriculture (corn, potatoes and apples) and fishing. Coal
mining has always been very significant but currently it does not enjoy
the predominant role it once did, having reduced its number from 20,000
miners in the 1980s to just 1,800 now.
The secondary sector
employs 30% of the active population, being important: the steel
industry, especially located between Gijón and Avilés, food, shipyards,
weapons, chemicals, transport equipment, etc. 65% of the active
population resides in the tertiary sector and is increasing, thus the
capital Oviedo is the city that is growing the most in number of
inhabitants (with the coastal Gijón still being the most populated), a
fact that is symptomatic of the concentration of the population in urban
centers and the importance that tourism has acquired in the region in
recent years, with the slogan: "Asturias, natural paradise."
Due
to industrial relocation, the 2008 crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic;
that hit the community in previous decades, the per capita income is
below the national average, standing at €21,149 in 2020. Asturias is
below the national unemployment average, standing at 10% unemployment at
the end of 2021.
The town councils that are part of the
Principality of Asturias had a global public debt of €451 million in
2009.
Asturias has 1,028,244 inhabitants (INE 2018), which represents 2.20%
of the national total. It has a population density of 96.97
inhabitants/km².
The population is characterized by having the
highest mortality rate in Spain (12 per thousand) and the lowest birth
rate (6 per thousand), which is why since 1987 the population has been
decreasing, given that the birth rate only represents 42 % of the
population maintenance rate, although large cities maintain their
population, compared to mining basins and inland rural areas that are
depopulating more rapidly.
Since 2000, the Asturian population
has decreased by 70,000 people; and it is expected to lose more than
100,000 inhabitants in 2035, if the current demographic bleeding
continues. It is expected that in June 2022 its population will be below
one million inhabitants.
This decrease in the population occurs
despite the fact that the migratory balance, both national and
international, is positive, but not large enough to compensate for the
strong natural decrease, the product of an aging population. Although
the migratory balance between Asturias and the Community of Madrid
traditionally favored the latter, in 2020 the trend was reversed.
The percentage of foreigners is 3.65% (INE 2017), three times less
than the national average and only ahead of Galicia and Extremadura. The
main foreign groups are Romanian (21.94% of the total foreigners),
Moroccan (7.1%), Brazilian (5.57%) and Portuguese (4.93%).
The main Asturian populations are concentrated in the central area of the Principality, from the coast to the interior, following the mining valleys. The most populated council or municipality is Gijón, with 275,274 inhabitants, followed by the regional capital, Oviedo, with 225,391 inhabitants. and Avilés, which has 83,617 inhabitants. Other councils whose population is around 50,000 inhabitants are Siero (52,094 inhabitants), Langreo (44,737 inhabitants) and Mieres (42,951 inhabitants). The data is from the INE, as of January 1, 2011. It is also worth mentioning other councils whose capitals are very important to structure the Asturian territory: Cangas del Narcea as the southwestern capital (14,249 inhabitants), Navia (9,015 inhabitants) and Luarca (5,292 inhabitants) in the northwest, Grado (10,901 inhabitants) as a hinge between the center and west of the region, Arriondas (5,804 inhabitants) in the eastern interior and Llanes (14,048 inhabitants) as the dynamic nucleus of the Eastern Shore.
Asturian or Asturian pre-Romanesque art was cataloged as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, being a peculiar style within the broader pre-Romanesque style and located near the Cantabrian Sea, free of Muslim occupation, between the end of the 8th century and beginning of the 19th century when it was absorbed by Romanesque art from France. Although it is a successor of the Visigoth style, it cannot be said that the Asturian style is its legitimate heir, since it only accidentally conserves some of its main elements such as the horseshoe arch and although at first it must have been a modest imitation of the aforementioned art, very soon It is manifested with new and original elements perhaps imported from the East or Lombardy that singularly enhance it and denounce it as a precursor of the Romanesque. In the same UNESCO category is the Asturian cave art, included in the denomination of Altamira and Rock Art of the Cantabrian Coast.
Asturias has a rich artistic legacy, highlighting native
pre-Romanesque architecture (Asturian art) with monuments such as Santa
María del Naranco, Santa Cristina de Lena and San Miguel de Lillo in the
pre-Romanesque Ramirense style (due to Ramiro I) or San Julián de los
Prados. , known as Santullano (Oviedo) of pre-Romanesque Alfonso style
(due to Alfonso II the Chaste), all of them in Oviedo. In the council of
Villaviciosa there are the church of San Salvador de Valdediós
(familiarly known by Asturians as the "conventín") and the church of San
Salvador de Priesca.
Romanesque art is very present since all of
Asturias was crossed by one of the Jacobean routes, highlighting the
monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva (near Cangas de Onís), the churches
of San Esteban de Aramil (Siero), San Juan de Amandi (Villaviciosa) and
Santa María de Junco (Ribadesella).
Gothic is not abundant,
although there are good examples of this style such as the Cathedral of
San Salvador in Oviedo.
The Baroque is more present, through the
palatial architecture, with such notable examples as the Camposagrado
Palace and the Velarde Palace — the latter home to the Museum of Fine
Arts of Asturias. Of baroque construction, the bridge and gate
(Olloniego) stand out in public civil works; the milestones, chairs or
canapés present along the road to Madrid and the spa building in Caldas
de Priorio (Oviedo).
In 1985, UNESCO declared the “Monuments of
Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias” a World Heritage Site. This
declaration affects: the Holy Chamber of the Cathedral of Oviedo and the
Basilica of Santullano, modernly called San Julián de los Prados,
located in Oviedo and from the time of Alfonso II, San Miguel de Lillo,
Santa María del Naranco, both at the foot of Mount Naranco in the
surroundings of Oviedo and Santa Cristina de Lena near Pola de Lena, the
three from the time of Ramiro I and finally the Foncalada, a public
fountain located on Foncalada street in the heart of the urban area of
Oviedo and from the time of Alfonso III.
As for popular
architecture, the Asturian hórreo stands out for its demographic
extension and its functional evolution, having as its basic
characteristic its disassembly, being able to be easily transported to
another location. The panera is the evolution of this, with examples
that exceed 100 square meters of covered surface. The purpose of the
hórreo is as a granary and outbuilding where objects can be stored. With
the arrival of the cultivation of corn and beans, they were equipped
with exterior corridors and railings for the "curing" of the crops.
In Asturias is the only architectural work of Oscar Niemeyer in
Spain (the largest in Europe): the Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural
Center. Considered an Icon of today's Asturias (chosen by vote among the
readers of the newspaper El Comercio), this project was donated to the
Principality by the architect, awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for
the Arts, as his way of participating in the XXV Anniversary of the
aforementioned awards. In his idea he projected an open plaza, a place
for education, culture and peace. In the Niemeyer Center project,
different elements are combined: education, exhibitions, conferences,
theater, music, gastronomy and cinema.
In the capital of the
Principality stands one of the most representative buildings of modern
architecture, the Oviedo Congress Palace, by the Spanish architect
specialized in large structures, Santiago Calatrava, Prince of Asturias
Award for the Arts in 1999.
On March 30, 2007, the LABoral Center
for Art and Industrial Creation was inaugurated, an interdisciplinary
space to promote artistic exchange and foster the relationship between
society, art, science, technology and the creative industries. It is
located in the old Labor University of Gijón.
In recent years,
the recovery of industrial heritage has been of particular relevance
through various routes and museums with industrial themes, especially in
the central area of the Principality.
Severo Ochoa (1905-1993) was a natural scientist from Luarca awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1959. Margarita Salas (1938-2019) was also a scientist with international recognition.
Asturias has been the setting for filming films such as Volver a estar (Oscar winner), by José Luis Garci; Vicky Cristina Barcelona, by Woody Allen; The Orphanage, by Juan Antonio Bayona; Oviedo Express by Gonzalo Suárez; or Grandfather; and television series such as Doctor Mateo. The Gijón International Film Festival is held annually in Asturias.
The Spanish language is the only official language of the
Principality. Asturian is a vernacular language that, although it does
not enjoy official status, is recognized and protected by the
Principality of Asturias in accordance with its Statute of Autonomy and
the legislation developed.
Asturian has its origins in the
Romance language derived from Latin spoken in the medieval kingdoms of
Asturias and León. The oldest known text in this language is the Nodicia
de Kesos, which dates back to between the years 959 and 980, while the
oldest normative document written in Asturian that is preserved is the
Fuero de Avilés of 1085. From the Spanish Transition, the official
status of Asturian is one of the demands of various social movements. In
1981, the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana was created, an institution
of the Principality of Asturias whose purpose is the study, promotion
and defense of the Asturian language. Since 2005, some place names of
localities have been made official in Asturian. Currently there are very
few councils without their official vernacular toponymy.
According to the Sociolinguistic Survey of Asturias, in 2017, 90% of the
population stated that they wrote, spoke, read or understood Asturian.
Specifically, 28% said they understood it, 25% said they wrote it, 24%
spoke it, and 13% said they read it.
Furthermore, it is a
voluntary subject of study for primary school students and optional for
secondary school students throughout the Principality of Asturias. It
also has a certain media presence through weeklies that use this
language as a vehicle. In recent years, literature in Asturian has
enjoyed great development since what has come to be called the
Surdimentu.
In addition to Asturian, Eonaviego is spoken between
the Eo and Navia rivers. Philologically, Eonaviego is assigned to the
Galician-Portuguese linguistic group, as demonstrated by the oldest
texts preserved in this language, presenting some features that bring it
closer to Western Asturian. As in the case of Asturian, Eonaviego does
not enjoy the legal status of an official language.
Music and dance are two highly cultivated arts of Asturias, with
Danza Prima standing out in regional folklore. The most popular
instrument is the Asturian bagpipe, characterized by consisting of three
pipes: one for insufflation (torch) and two for sound (roncón and
punteru), which is used in numerous folk dances such as Saltón,
Xiringüelu and Jota asturiana, and can be accompanied by other
instruments such as the drum, accordion, clarinet, hurdy-gurdy and the
rebec (called "bandurria" in Asturias).
The most representative
traditional song of the Principality is the tune in its many variants.
In this field, the work of Joaquín ''Pixán'' stands out, also known for
being a great tenor, although there is a whole network of competitions
and festivals in the field within the community, with a large list of
amateur and semi-professional singers.
The most abundant musical
groups are those that represent the different expressive tendencies
around folk music: traditional pipers such as Xuacu Amieva or Vicente
Prado El Pravianu, singers renovating the tune such as Anabel Santiago
and Héctor Braga, groups of the so-called Celtic music ( Llan de Cubel
or Felpeyu as the best known), numerous bagpipe bands or the fusion that
Hevia represents, without missing singer-songwriters such as Víctor
Manuel or the showman Jerónimo Granda, as well as the duo Nuberu.
However, the Principality of Asturias is also prolific in rock groups,
both in the Asturian and Spanish languages, highlighting Los Berrones,
Dixebra, Ilegales, Warcry, Fe de Ratas, Avalanch and Stukas. In the
commercial circuits, they have enjoyed success. Paula Rojo, Melendi or
El Sueño de Morfeo, while in the 1980s Tino Casal, one of the best-known
members of the Madrid scene, stood out.
At the beginning of the
1990s, an alternative music movement, closely related to the indie genre
that was beginning to emerge in the rest of Spain and known as Xixón
Sound, brought notable additions such as Australian Blonde or Manta Ray.
This hotbed has not stopped contributing new names, such as Mus,
Nosoträsh or the singer-songwriter Nacho Vegas, former member of Manta
Ray.
Concerts by international stars such as Paul McCartney, Tina
Turner, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Celia Cruz, David Bowie, Bruce
Springsteen, Sting, The Rasmus and Offspring among others have taken
place in Asturias.
Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of
Asturias (OSPA): it is the main orchestra of the autonomous community.
This stable orchestra covers a wide range of repertoire with first-rate
soloists and conductors. It has its headquarters in the Príncipe Felipe
Auditorium in Oviedo, but also distributes its activity between the
cities of Gijón and Avilés. Internationally recognized as one of the
best Spanish orchestras, it carries out creative programming with a
special emphasis on education and collaboration with society. Nuno
Coelho is its main director.
Choir of the Princess of Asturias
Foundation. The Princess of Asturias Foundation, in 1983, created a
polyphonic group so that, incorporating the traditional love of
Asturians for choral music, it would elevate its work to the highest
levels. The choir is currently directed by José Esteban G. Miranda.
Being honorary directors of Jesús López Cobos and Krzysztof Penderecki.
This choir is considered one of the most important amateur groups in
Europe and of recognized international prestige. In 2007, the European
Parliament distinguished this choir with extraordinary recognition "for
its outstanding service in favor of the European Union."
Asturias is a region rich in mythology, sharing characters with other regions in northern Spain and even, according to some studies, with other places in Europe. They are usually related to natural accidents and superstition, especially highlighting the Trasgu elf, the Xanas (nymphs), the Güestía (the Holy Compaña), the Pesadiellu or the Cuélebre (winged serpent).
In the years 2010, 2011 and 2012, the research carried out by the Sociological Research Center of Spain interviewed 2,450 people in Asturias. (The number refers to the people who responded to the interview).
Asturias has a Museum of Fine Arts with the presence of the main Asturian painters of the 20th century as well as others of international recognition such as Picasso or El Greco.
Asturias hosts numerous festivities, especially from spring (when the
"corks" of cider known as espichas take place, where drinks and food are
served) and throughout the summer. The pilgrimages, also known as
festivals of prau or folixes, are famous, celebrated in many villages,
towns and villages. The most popular are El Carmín in Pola de Siero, El
Xirigüelu in Pravia and San Timoteo in Luarca, which attract thousands
of attendees. The more urban festivals also stand out, such as San Mateo
in Oviedo, the Semana Grande in Begoña and the Semana Negra in Gijón, or
the Bollu and San Agustín Festivals in Avilés. Fogueres are also common
on the night of San Juan and amagüestos in autumn. The Carnival or
Antroxu is celebrated in all Asturian towns, with the one in Avilés
being especially popular with the Descesno de la calle Galiana, and
those in Oviedo and Gijón. Holy Week has numerous religious events.
It is worth highlighting the International Descent of the Sella,
which is celebrated on the first Saturday of August after the 2nd
between Arriondas and Ribadesella, with a 20 km route, a festival
declared of International Tourist Interest. This is the most popular
festival in Asturias, with hundreds of thousands of attendees each year.
The Cider Festival festivities in Nava, Asturias Day in Gijón, the
Descent by Swimming of the estuary of the Navia, Our Lady of the Rosary
in Luarca, the feast of the Virgin of the Guide in Llanes and the Day of
America in Asturias in Oviedo. Many others are declared of regional
interest such as the Nalón Folklore Descent, the Cangas Download and
several gastronomic days and pilgrimages.
Institutionally, the
official holiday of the autonomous community is celebrated on September
8, also the festival of the Virgin of Covadonga. This date was
proclaimed Asturias Day in 1984 and has the character of a regional
holiday and, therefore, a non-working day. Its celebration takes place
every year in the location determined by the Government Council of the
Principality of Asturias.
On the other hand, the Princess of
Asturias Awards are presented by the Foundation of the same name
annually in Oviedo, where eminences from science, arts or sports have
received their award, including Woody Allen, J. K. Rowling, Stephen
Hawking, Susan Sontag, Annie Leibovitz, Paul Auster, Nelson Mandela,
Francis Ford Coppola, Heroes of Fukushima, Mary Beard, Leonard Cohen,
Martina Navratilova, Norman Foster and Pedro Almodóvar among many
others.
It has elements that relate it to the Norman and Breton. The
best-known dish is fabada, a powerful stew made with fabes, a variety of
white beans, accompanied by chorizo, blood sausage, lacón and bacon.
This is served separately and is known as compangu. Also noteworthy is
the variety of fresh fish and shellfish from the Cantabrian Sea and its
beef and veal, used in another typical dish, cachopo.
There are
more than a hundred different varieties of excellent artisan cheeses, of
which Cabrales is the best known (although the most popular in Asturias
are Gamonedo, Afuega'l pitu, etc.) and it has a designation of origin.
If you prefer a sweet dessert, the most traditional is rice pudding and
casadielles (a type of crepes filled with a mixture of nuts such as
walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, previously crushed, mixed with sugar and
sprinkled with anise) well fried. or baked, we also find the famous
Charlota cake from Gijón, the carbayones and muscovitas in Oviedo and
the famous tocinillo de cielo from Grado among other desserts. At
Carnival (Antroxu) Frixuelu is prepared, a dessert made with flour,
milk, sugar, fried with little oil and on which sugar is sprinkled. The
Asturian empanada is also typical.
The Asturian drink par
excellence is cider, whose production process and forms of consumption
have been fully integrated into the social life of Asturias. With low
levels of alcohol, between four and six, cider brightens pilgrimages and
meetings and continues to play in chigres and espichas the undisputed
role of the typical drink of Asturias. In recent years, new expression
ciders, non-alcoholic sweet cider and designation of origin have
appeared with notable acceptance.
Less integrated, but no less
important, in the West the wine produced in that area is also typical,
such as the wine from Cangas del Narcea, although Asturias does not have
any designation of origin for wines.
In football, the main teams in the Principality are: Real Sporting de
Gijón, which has spent 42 seasons in the First Division and has 6
European participations, 1 runner-up in the League; and Real Oviedo,
which has played for 38 seasons in the First Division and has 1 European
participation and 3 third positions in the First Division. Both teams
currently play in the Second Division.
Five other teams have
played in the Second Division: Real Avilés C. F. (14 seasons), Unión
Popular de Langreo (8 seasons), Caudal Deportivo (7 seasons), Club
Deportivo Ensidesa (one season) and Real Deportivo Oriamendi (one
season). The Principality is represented by the Asturias soccer team.
In basketball, the main team currently is Oviedo CB that competes in
LEB Oro. Previously, Gijón Baloncesto stood out, currently defunct, a
team that spent four seasons during the nineties in the highest
category, the ACB League.
In handball, Asturias was represented
in the ASOBAL League thanks to the Gijón Jovellanos Handball Group and
the Naranco Handball Club. In addition, the region is the birthplace of
great players such as the brothers Alberto Entrerríos and Raúl
Entrerríos or Rubén Garabaya from Aviles (all of them absolute
internationals).
Asturian teams that currently compete in the
highest categories of their respective sports are:
Badminton Oviedo
in Badminton
Gijón Hockey Club in women's roller hockey
Gijón
Mariners in American football
Santa Olaya Swimming Club in men's and
women's swimming
El Llano Baseball Club in baseball
Club Unihockey
Gijón in floorball
Astur Skate in roller speed skating
Galaica
Rhythmic Club in rhythmic gymnastics
On an individual level, the
Oviedo driver Fernando Alonso, double Formula 1 world champion in 2005
and 2006, stands out in Asturias. Also in motorsports, it is worth
mentioning drivers such as Alberto Hevia, Spanish champion of asphalt
rallies in 2004 and 2010 and runner-up. in 2005 and 2007, José Antonio
López Fombona or Daniel Alonso. We must also highlight the cyclist
Samuel Sánchez, Olympic gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
in the road cycling modality, and Chechu Rubiera.
A very popular
sporting event both in Asturias and in the rest of Spain is the
International Descent of the Sella, a canoeing test with participants
from several countries and which takes place annually on the final
stretch of the Sella River, between Arriondas and Ribadesella, on the
first Saturday. of August after the 2nd of that month, since the 1930s.
With this event, the International Canoeing Week in Asturias begins,
which ends with the International Cares Descent. Meanwhile, the Príncipe
de Asturias Rally counted towards the European Rally Championship.
In Asturias there are also native sports with a wide following of
fans. Of these, bowling is the most important and in Asturias it is
practiced in several modalities: cuatreada, batiente, palma (or birle),
celta (or Tineo), etc.
A notable minority sport in the province
is speed skating on inline skates, with several skatedromes throughout
the center of the region. It is worth highlighting A.D Asturpatín, with
a high national level.
In addition, winter and mountain sports
also stand out. It has the Valgrande-Pajares winter and mountain resort,
which is one of the first Spanish ski resorts, which has 21.5 km of
slopes plus 7 km of cross-country skiing and was inaugurated in 1954.
Also in March In 2007, the Fuentes de Invierno winter resort was
inaugurated with fifteen ski slopes that have a total length of 8764 m.