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OVIEDO CATHEDRAL
Cathedral Cloister
Oviedo Gothic: art, liturgy, and power
At the end of the 13th century, Oviedo entered a new
phase of construction. Work began on a Gothic clois-
ter, and from 1388, under the bishopric of Gutierre de
Toledo, the grand project of the central nave and the
main façade commenced. The works would last over
two centuries.
The new cathedral embraced the flamboyant Gothic
style, with tall stained-glass windows, ribbed vaults,
rose windows, and graceful verticality. Three naves
were built, along with an ambulatory, side chapels, a
sacristy, and a high altarpiece that bridges late Gothic
and Renaissance styles, crafted by sculptors such as
Giralte de Bruselas and Juan de Balmaseda.
Thus, the building became a temple of great ambition,
rivaling the artistic richness of the major Castilian cathe-
drals. And yet, when one looks up from the square, the
inevitable question arises: why does it have only one
tower?
A single tower: aesthetic choice or lack
of resources?
The original plan included two towers flanking the main
façade, as was common in Gothic architecture. However,
in the early 16th century, the cathedral chapter made a
momentous but pragmatic decision: only the south tower
would be built, rising above the main entrance.
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Cathedrals are the quintessential example of what
is known as “living architecture”; they often take
years or centuries to complete, leading to chan-
ges in artistic styles and allowing historical events
to influence the final execution of the original de-
signs.
A mix of both factors explains what happened with
Oviedo Cathedral.
Between 1517 and 1528, Oviedo suffered, in this
order: a plague that halved its population; a de-
vastating fire; an earthquake in nearby Avilés that
also affected the city; and four years of severe
flooding.
Meanwhile, artistic trends in Europe, particularly
in France and Germany, were moving toward ca-
thedrals with a single soaring tower as the domi-
nant architectural feature. This solution was seen
as elegant, modern, and sober — and it was the
one ultimately chosen.
Oviedo’s tower was completed in 1551, designed
and built by master builders such as Pedro de
Bueras, Pedro de la Tijera, and Juan de Cerecedo
the Elder. It reached a height of 80 metres, topped
with a spire that was replaced after being struck
by lightning in 1575, and later rebuilt by Rodrigo
Gil de Hontañón