Historical Gems of Costa Verde
Costa Verde, located in northern Spain, is a region steeped in history that offers a unique perspective on the country's rich past for history enthusiasts. This lush and verdant coastal stretch, encompassing Asturias, Cantabria, and part of the Basque Country, is known for its captivating historical sites and cultural heritage.
Oviedo Cathedral
Photo from Flickr, copyright javier.losa
The Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo today displays an array of architectural styles, from Pre-Romanesque to Baroque, including Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance parts. It began as a large Pre-Romanesque basilica in the present location of the Gothic cathedral, but nothing more is known about that first building, built by order of King Alfonso II of Asturias.
The cathedral was founded by King Fruela I of Asturias in 781 AD, and enlarged in 802 by his son Alfonso II of Asturias, who made Oviedo the capital of Kingdom of Asturias, and resided in Oviedo with his court. The present edi ...
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Photo from Flickr, copyright henribergius
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. The museum was inaugurated in 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art. Built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea, it is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists. It is one of the largest museums in Spain.
One of the most admired works of contemporar ...
Roman Baths of Campo Valdes
Photo from Flickr, copyright David A.L.
These thermae (Roman baths) of Gijón are considered one of the most important sites in northern Spain. Campo Valdés are a site museum on baths dating from the Early Empire. They are located in front of the Church of San Pedro under Campo Valdés Gardens, at sea level. The baths were discovered in 1903, remaining hidden from the public until 1965.
Located outside the Roman walls, the baths consisted of two distinct units: the household area and the area of the thermae.
Tower of Hercules
Photo from Flickr, copyright Jose Losada Foto
The Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules) is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula about 2.4 km from the centre of A Coruña. The structure is 55 metres (180 ft) tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009. It is the second-tallest lighthouse in Spain.
The tower is known to have existed by the 2nd century, built or perhaps rebuilt under Trajan, possibly on foundations following a design that was Phoenician in origin. It is thought to be modeled after the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Its base preserves a cornerstone with the i ...
Santillana del Mar Collegiate Church
Photo from Flickr, copyright Tuscasasrurales
Santillana del Mar Collegiate Church has its origins in a monastery dating from 870. Tradition has it that it was home to the relics of Santa Juliana.
Over the course of the 11th century it was transformed into a collegiate church, although the building visible today dates from the 12th century. It has three naves, with dome, transept, three semi-circular apses and a tower. The transept and apses conserve their original barrel-vaulted ceilings. Special mention should be made of the sculptural decoration of the doorway, the capitals and the cloister. Inside you can see medieval tombs and Roman ...
Santander Cathedral
Santander Cathedral was built between the end of the 12th century and the 14th century on top of the former Santander Abbey.
The church was built from the 8th century on the hill known as Cerro de Somorrostro, surrounded by water, where the Roman settlement of Portus Victoriae Iuliobrigensium had previously been located, in order to keep safe the relics of the saints martyred in Calahorra five centuries before, when their skulls were brought to Santander by those escaping the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
The construction of the lower floor dates from the 12th century. In ...
Santa Ana Castle
Photo from Flickr, copyright Txemari - Argazki.
Santa Ana Castle was built in the 13th century but abandoned already in the 16th century. The five 15m high corner towers protect the main building where the lighthouse was erected in 1853.
San Vicente de la Barquera Castle
Photo from Flickr, copyright Miguel. (respenda)
The castle of San Vicente de la Barquera was a royal residence built by Alfonso I of Asturias in the 8th century. The current walls and structure date from the 13th century. The complex is 50 meters long and around 20 m wide. Today the restored castle is a museum and used for events.
Castro de Coaña
Photo from Flickr, copyright guillenperez
Situated on the left bank of the Navia Estuary, Castro de Coaña is a hilltop settlement (4th Century BC) surrounded by walls and accessed from the south. The main defensive structure is located precisely in the south and consists of a wide ditch dug into the slaty subsoil finished off by a wall. Inside, the settlement is divided into several sectors.
It has a diamond shape in which the three areas can be clearly distinguished. The acropolis is a triangular enclosure surrounded by a wall, not used for housing. Access to this area was protected by a square tower. The northern residential sect ...
Cave of Altamira
The Cave of Altamira is located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar. It is renowned for prehistoric parietal cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands. The earliest paintings were applied during the Upper Paleolithic, around 36,000 years ago.
Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved. The caves are inscribed as masterpieces of creative genius and as the humanity’s earliest accomplished art. They are also inscribed as exceptional testimonies ...