The Kingdom of the Asturias emerged as a refuge for the Christian religion in the 9th century. It was one of the few places in Spain which remained overtly Christian in the face of Islamic rulers who had conquered Spain during this era. Arabs sacked and held Oviedo briefly in the late 700s. In the next century, however, Christianity solely reigned over this small region, and during this time, a historically significant body of architecture -- four churches, one holy chamber and a modern hydraulic engineering structure -- was built.
Two of the four churches that comprise the Monuments of Oviedo are the Santa Cristina de Lena and San Miguel de Lillo. San Miguel de Lillo was built under the reign of Ramire I (842-50), when the Kingdom of the Asturias reached its architectural peak. It is located in Naranco, a couple miles from Oviedo. The smaller chapel, Santa Cristina de Lena, is located in Lena, also outside of Oviedo.
Also located in Naranco, the Church of Santa Maria del Naranco originally served as a royal palace for Ramire I, who ordered its erection in 848. Later rulers converted it into a church, presumably because it was no longer needed as a royal residence. Its conversion to a church occurred sometime in the century and a half following the year 905. Santa Maria del Naranco features a rectangular building plan with two levels. Notable features include an exterior stairway on the north side and a balcony on the south side.
Built during the reign of the last Asturian king, the Camara Santa (meaning "Holy Chamber") in the Oviedo Cathedral houses the remains of two Cordoban martyrs.
Under the long rule of Alfonso II, from 791 to 842, the Basilica of San Julian de los Prados was erected. This basilica is the last of the four churches included in the Monuments of Oviedo.
La Foncalada is an ancient public water fountain that sits over a spring. Constructed during the era of Alfonso III, the last Asturian king, it is the only remaining example of the period's architecture that was built for public use.
