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Information about
Asturias
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Asturias, with an extent of 10 564 km2 is situated in the Northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, in the so-called 'España Verde' (Green Spain). It borders on Cantabria in the East, on Galicia in the West; in the South, and with the Cantabric Mountain Range as a natural border, on Castilla-Leon
The Mountains in this Cantabric Range and the fact of being adjacent to the coast, give this region an Atlantic climate with no big differences in temperatures, with warm summers (22º C) and mild winters. The rainfall is plentiful.
Three different areas can be distinguished in Asturias: the mountains, the interior valleys and the coast. The Cantabric Mountain Range (whose highest heights can be found in the 'Picos de Europa ' ) is a natural barrier which makes communications with the rest of the country difficult. Atlantic forest. 345 km of coast with cliffs, wide beaches, small coves and picturesque fishing villages.
One of the greatest pleasures when coming to the Principality of Asturias is enjoying a complete journey through the art and culture that we have inherited from people who lived here across the centuries.
This journey can start going into the caves of Tito Bustillo, El Pindal, Candamo or El Buxu, where some very significant examples of parietal paintings and rock carving take us to the artistic sensibility of Palaeolithic men. The Neolithic Period is characterized by the abandonment of the caves due to better weather conditions. The Dolmen of Santa Cruz, the Idol of Pe?u and the Archaeological Museum of Asturias are inescapable stopping places to understand that time when the first mining workings are established in this region.
The next cultural milestone (from V B.C. to I A.D. century) is the so-called cultura castreña hill-fort culture). The castros (hill-forts) in Mohias, San Chuis and mainly Coaña evoke the primitive presence of those who were called Astures by the Romans in times of Augustus. The most interesting example of the Roman stay in our region is, no doubt, the Roman Baths in El Campo Valdés in the very central area of downtown GijÃ3n/FONT>
One of the most outstanding stages, maybe the most important one, for the Asturian culture begins in the 7th Century of our Age. The Asturian Kingdom is born and with it an art which is elegant, original and perfectly adapted to its environment and extremely advanced in spite of the isolation of this kingdom which is Christian while the rest of the peninsula is Moslem. This is the Asturian Pre-Romanic Art (whose most important monuments have been declared Heritage of Mankind by the UNESCO) which is in itself a good reason for visiting Asturias and admire works as Santa Maria del Naranco, San Salvador de ValdediÃ3s San Julián de los Prados, which are only some of the most well-known.
From the l5th century, Romanic Art leaves countless examples in the form of small rural churches: San Juan de Amandi, San Esteban de Aramil; or of important collegiate churches and monasteries: Santa Maria de la Oliva, San Antolin de BedÃ3s, San Pedro de Teverga, and many others.
The next stopping place in our journey, Gothic Art, has its outstanding representation in the Cathedral of Oviedo, and has other important examples in Santa Maria de Llanes or the House of the Valdecarzana in Avil?
The Renaissance is seen clearly in this Principality with a delay of some years. The church in Sietes or the palaces of Velaverde in Oviedo and Revillagigedo in Gij?belong to this style. This is the time of the beginning of the construction or restoration of old medieval towers in family seats spread along the Asturian countryside; an activity that reached its peak with the arrival of Baroque,17th and l8th C.,with constructions as the old Orphanage of Oviedo; San Isidoro Church; the cloister in the Monastery of Cornellana; or the Collegiate Church in Pravia, whose altarpiece is a masterpiece of this style.
At the end of the 19th the last cultural and artistic movement of our age arrives to the Principality: Modernism, to which most of the casonas de indianos (houses of Asturians returning rich from America) belong. We can name the Quinta Guadalupe (nowadays Archivo de Indianos Museum), Sotiello Palace in Piloña Villa Rosario in Ribadesella or Palacete Peña Hotel in Figueras.
The 20th Century is the century of the industrial revolution in Asturias, an event which is a turning point in the history and life of this region. Some industrial constructions, between two centuries, are really amazing and interesting for their aesthetics and for what they represent: San Luis shaft and the old factory of Duro & Cia in Langreo or the village of Bustiello in Mieres.
Approaches to the region
From the East:
State Road N-634 (from Bask Country and Cantabria).
From the West:
State Road N-634 (from Tuy and Galicia).
From the South:
State Road N-630 and highway A-66 (Called "Autopista del Huerna"), from the Communities in the central area of Spain. Phone "Autopista del Huerna": +34-8-549 62 62.
By Air
AEROPORT: Phone +34-8- 512 75 00
To and from London 3 t./w. AO
To and from Paris 3 t./w. AO
To and from La Coru? t./w. AO
To and from Alicante 1 t./w. AE
To and from Mallorca 1 t./w. AE
To and from Tenerife 1 t./w. AE
To and from Malaga 1 t./w. AE
To and from Barcelona 2 t./day AO
To and from Madrid 5 t./day AO
By Train
RENFE
To and from Madrid 4 services/day
To and from Barcelona 2 services/ day
To and from Alicante 1 service/ day
FEVE
To and from El Ferrol 2 services/ day
To and from Santander 2 services/ day
To and from Bilbao 1 service/ day