Oviedo

Oviedo, city, Asturias provincia (province) and comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), northern Spain. Oviedo lies on a hill surrounded by mountains and a fertile plain and is situated 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Gijón. It was founded as a monastery by Fruela I in 757 and became the capital of the kingdom of Asturias in 810. It was one of the few Spanish towns never conquered by the Moors during the Middle Ages. Landmarks include the cathedral (begun in 1388, on the site of the original monastery), the sacristy of which houses part of a chapel built by Alfonso II in 802 to guard Christian relics rescued from the Moors; the bishop’s palace (c. 1500–1700); and the Convent of San Vicente (1493), now the provincial museum. The University of Oviedo was founded in 1608.

The city’s economy relies heavily on the mining (coal and iron) in its environs. Its other industries include food processing and some light manufacturing, namely weapons. Services and local commerce are economic mainstays. Pop. (2006 est.) 183,035.