Oviedo, Spain

Oviedo is a city in Spain, the capital of the Autonomous Community of Asturias, its cultural and administrative center, its industrial capital, second only to Gijón.
The foundations of Oviedo were laid in 781 by the King of Asturias Fruela I on the site where he had built a monastery 20 years earlier as the residence of his wife Munia. The city became the capital of the region by the will of his son Alfonso II of Asturias.
The settlement is fortified with high fortress walls, and for the 11,000th population the heir built many palaces and churches. But a turning point in the rise of Oviedo was seen in the tenth century, when Leon was chosen as the capital of Asturias. The successor to the royal crown, Juan I of Castile, was founded in 1388, and the Principle of Asturias and Oviedo flourished again after being elected capital. From then until today, the title Prince of Asturias refers to the heir to the Spanish Crown.
Oviedo is the oldest Christian city in Spain. The three beautiful pre-Romanesque churches are considered the most valuable architectural monuments here. The 9th-century San Julian de los Prados is a brick vaulted building with well-restored frescoes, squeezed by the Gijón Highway and the narrow streets of the city. The Church of Santa Maria is also outside Oviedo. It was built in 848 AD and was originally used as a summer royal residence. Next to it is San Miguel de Lillo with exquisitely sculpted capitals and reliefs.
But this is not the end of Oviedo's sights. Named after the city's founder, Plaza Alfonso II is home to the creeping Cathedral building, an imposing late Gothic building. 

Absorbing the remains of the 9th-century church of San Tirso, the cathedral has also housed the Archaeological Museum - the transformed former monastery of San Vicente, as well as the Benedictine monastery of San Pelayo. Remarkable statues, capitals and valuables can be seen in the Santa Chamber, also housed in the cathedral.
Oviedo's label of being a cultural center is not in vain. At the Diocesan Museum, visitors can enjoy magnificent collections of processional crosses, chalices and Romanesque statues. And those who want to admire the art in the period XVI-XX century, must visit the Museo de Bellas Artes /Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias/. It is housed in three buildings in the old part of town. The rich heritage of the museum, established by more than 8,000 recorded pieces, is one of the best public collections in Spain.
Although it occupies a small piece of land and a less attractive city, in recent years Oviedo has been chosen by Deep Purple, U2, Michael Jackson, Green Day and others to give concerts, which further enhances its cultural significance.
The "Prince of Asturias" is also famous for the city - an annual award that has been presented since 1981, considered the Spanish version of the Nobel Prize. It is awarded by the public "Prince of Asturias Foundation", chaired by Crown Prince Felipe. It covers 8 areas: sports, communications and humanities, literature, social sciences, consent, international cooperation, art and science. The winners receive an original sculpture by Joan Miró and a cash prize of 50,000 euros.