The best things to see and do in Villaviciosa (Asturias)

You still haven't traveled to Asturias? Then perhaps Villaviciosa It only sounds familiar to you because of the various brands of Asturian cider that you will know come from said town.

It is true, in fact, to Villaviciosa It is known as the capital of the Apple, and is the head of the so-called Cider Region.

But when you arrive at this coastal town and take a walk through its historic center, you discover, as happened to me on my last trip to that area of ​​Asturias, that it is a town that maintains mansions and stately homes.

And he also has the honor of King Charles I will pass through the town, after arriving in Spain, disembarking in the nearby port of Bowls.

What to see and do in Villaviciosa: visit Romanesque churches

During your visit to this Asturian town, you will see that the great historic charm of Villaviciosa It is concentrated in the group of buildings that surrounds the park where the monument to Charles I,

There you can see, among other historical buildings, the palaces of the Valdés and Peón, and from the Riera Theater you can walk through their streets of Water and Sun, which running in parallel concentrate the greatest commercial activity.

You can come to Villaviciosa attracted by the possibility of visiting a historic winery where it is produced. cider, like the The Bagpiper.

But from our point of view, the Romanesque art It is a primary argument to go to visit Villaviciosa, where next to the building of the aforementioned Riera Theater you have the church of Santa María de la Oliva.

And in a neighboring neighborhood of the Asturian town you find another example of this architecture in the church of San Juan Amandi, with its curious capitals with sex scenes.

Romanesque church Santa María de la Oliva in Villaviciosa

From the point of view of cultural heritage, surely you have clearly associated the image of Asturias to the one of the pre-romanesque architecture, with important exponents such as the wonderful monuments of Santa María del Naranco o Santa Cristina de Lena.

But I will tell you that Asturias It also contains many samples of romanesque architecture.

For the most part these are small rural churches integrated into the green landscape or located in one of its towns, as is the case of Villaviciosa with his two romanesque churches.

Santa María de la Oliva You find it in the historic center of the Asturian town, next to the aforementioned Riera Theater.

It was built at the end of the 13th century, so its architecture already shows a style in advance of the Gothic, such as the slightly pointed arches.

This church is popularly known as Santa Maria del Concellu, because under one of its porticos the council used to meet. Now you will only see the south portico.

Su western facade is the main one, and there you will see a doorway with four archivolts and the figure of The Virgin at the top of it.

You will see that the figures on the columns have mutilated heads, which happened during the Civil War.

In any case, the exterior of the building presents an interesting decoration with various zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures and capitals.

El interior of the church of Santa María de la Oliva It has a single nave covered with exposed wood on the roof. The head has two sections and is covered by a barrel vault.

Next to the church you can visit The Olive Casino, an interpretation center of Romanesque in Villaviciosa.

Santa María de la Oliva schedules in Villaviciosa

The Visiting hours of the Romanesque church of Santa María de la Oliva en Villaviciosa They are from Monday to Sunday, from July to September, from 10 a.m. to 21 p.m., and from October to May, from 10 a.m. to 18 p.m.

La Admission is free, and during the months of July and August you can sign up for free guided tours Monday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 13 p.m. and from 17 p.m. to 19 p.m.

Romanesque church San Juan de Amandi in Villaviciosa

Located in the Amandi neighborhood of this town, the church of San Juan de Amandi It is one of the best examples of Asturian Romanesque.

Although my visit of Villaviciosa coincided with the fact that the temple was closed, I did not stop coming to see the exterior of this beautiful church in which the enormous wooden porch that covers its west facades, where the south entrance is located.

La church of San Juan de AmandiAccording to the documents found, it seems to have its origins in the pre-Romanesque era, but the building is a clear example of the Asturian Romanesque, with some early Gothic details.

The current building is from the first half of the 13th century, and has a single interior nave.

The aforementioned porch structure is from the 17th century, and is supported by several stone columns.

This porch covers the beautiful porch with four Romanesque arches with capitals that show vegetal representations.

On the outside, the apse head, which seems to have been rebuilt in the 18th century to prevent its possible collapse due to deterioration.

In that area you will also find one of the most characteristic elements of San Juan de Amandi, how are the corbels (stone supports of the roof) where human characters appear in an erotic attitude.

So that I have been able to read, it's even more worth it see the interior of San Juan de Amandi, due to the characteristics of its apse and its numerous historiated capitals, among which themes from the Old and New Testament, as well as profane and symbolic themes.

Without a doubt I have to return to Villaviciosa to see the interior of this Romanesque church.

San Juan de Amandi schedules in Villaviciosa

The Visiting hours of San Juan de Amandi in Villaviciosa they are, from July to September, Tuesday to Sunday, from 11,30:13,30 a.m. to 17,30:19,30 p.m. and from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

The rest of the year, the hours are Tuesday to Saturday, from 11,30:13,30 a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

La San Juan de Amandi entrance is free.

Map: how to get to Villaviciosa in Asturias

Villaviciosa is located 20 minutes by car east from Gijón, and half an hour from Oviedo.

Photos of Villaviciosa in Asturias

As a preview of your future visit to this Asturian town, here is a gallery of photos of Villaviciosa.