Gothic on the outside, but with a much older core inside: the Holy Chamber, from the ninth century, is a World Heritage site and houses the relics that made Oviedo a pilgrimage stop. The tower, in one piece and with openwork, is the silhouette of the city.
The visit covers the cathedral, the Holy Chamber, the church museum and the cloister. In the Holy Chamber are kept the Holy Ark, the Sudarium and two crosses that are on the flags: the Cross of the Angels, of Oviedo, and the Cross of Victory, of Asturias.
The tower can also be climbed: 184 steps to the openwork spire, with the best views of the city. Guided tours, and it is worth booking.
A little history
The origin of the cathedral is the church that Alfonso II the Chaste built in the ninth century next to his palace; from then come the Holy Chamber and the relics that turned Oviedo into a destination of pilgrimage — hence the saying «he who goes to Santiago and not to San Salvador visits the servant and forgets the Lord». The Gothic building began to be built at the end of the fourteenth century, and the tower, with its openwork spire, is from the sixteenth. The Holy Chamber was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.
- From the house
- 10 min by car
- Duration
- 1 hr 30 min
- Admission
- €8
Getting there
Without a car
Local train to Oviedo and fifteen minutes on foot through the old town.
Before you go
- The Holy Chamber and the cloister need a separate ticket from the church itself, and the hours shift around services.
- This is the fallback for a day of rain: all of it is under a roof.
- There is a reduced ticket for pilgrims, students, large families and over-65s.
Prices and opening hours link to the official source; they are never copied onto this site.
On the same outing
Oviedo old town
Squares, arcades and cider houses, ten minutes away by train.
10 min by car3 hr
Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias
El Greco, Goya and Sorolla across three linked palaces.
10 min by car2 hr