apital of the Christian Kingdom. In 1020 its civil
dignities were removed by Alfonso V. to Leon in the south. From then on
the city remained important only as the alleged cradle of the new
dynasty, and its church--that of the Salvador--was used as the pantheon
of the kings.

In the twelfth century the basilica was in a ruinous state, and almost
completely destroyed. The fate of the Romanesque edifice which was then
built was as short as the city's glory had been ephemeral, for in 1380
it was destroyed by flames, and in its place the first stone of the
present building was laid by one Bishop Gutierre. One hundred and
seventy years later the then reigning prelate placed his coat of arms on
the spire, and the Gothic monument which is to-day admired by all who
visit it was completed.

The history of the city--an ecclesiastical and civil metropolis--is
devoid of interest since the tenth century. It was as though the streets
were too crowded with the legends of the fictitious kingdom of Asturias,
to be enabled to shake off the depression which little by little spread
over the whole town.

Apart from its cathedral, Oviedo and the surrounding country possesses
many of the earliest religious monuments in Spain, dating from the
eighth century. These, on account of their primary Romanesque and
basilica style, form a chapter apart in the history of ecclesiastical
architecture, and ought to be thoroughly studied. This is not the place,
however, to speak about them, in spite of their extreme age and the
great interest they awaken.

Nothing could be more graceful than the famous tower of the cathedral of
Oviedo, which is a superb Gothic _fleche_ of well-proportioned elements,
and literally covered over and encrusted with tiny pinnacles. Slender
and tapering, it rises to a height of about 280 feet. It is composed of
five distinct bodies, of which the penultimate betrays certain
Renaissance influences in the triangular cornices of the windows, etc.;
this passes, however, entirely unperceived from a certain distance. The
angles formed by the sides of the tower are flanked by a pair of slender
shafts in high relief, which tend to give it an even more majestic
impression than would be the case without them.

[Illustration: OVIEDO CATHEDRAL]

The cathedral itself is a late ogival building belonging to the
fifteenth century; though it cannot compare in fairy-like beauty with
that of Leon, nor in majesty with that of Burgos, it is neve