Torre Vieja de San Salvador de Oviedo - Centro Prerrománico Asturiano

This robust fortification – with walls reaching a thickness of 1´40 metres – is closely linked to the Holy Chamber of the cathedral. No certain data on its construction are available, but there are sufficient archaeological, epigraphic and topographic arguments to date it around the same years as the Holy Chamber, that is to say, 884-885. It seems to be the fortification destined to protect the treasure room of the cathedral, which can be identified as the Holy Chamber, from pirate assaults – either Norman or Muslim.

This building, at present the Romanesque steeple of the cathedral, located on the less protected flank of the Holy Chamber, is made up by two differentiated buildings resulting from two constructive boosts.

The first of these constitutes the lower body of the tower. It is an irregular quadrangular floor plan construction, without external openings up to a considerable height, and with a robust door on the Northern façade, allowing for communication with the basilica of San Salvador. The bond shows the characteristic High Middle Ages masonry with small rectangular blocks, settled on regular rows. Inside, the wall suffers successive offsets, destined both to reduce its thickness and to allow the wooden frameworks of the floors.

A recent archaeological excavation has revealed it is based directly on the country rock, without a foundation flange, except on the Northern side, where this is apparent.

In the last third of the 11th century – probably under the pontificate of Ariano (1073-1094) – this fortification received the body of the steeple, open to the exterior by means of coupled openings on each façade, resting over reduced groin vaults and finished off by a cloister vault. The bond is of neat ashlar, its execution hardly requiring three workers. The inside of the upper vault is joined by two transverse arches crossing in the direction of the axes, externally corresponding to beams over corbels supported by animal modillions. All eight openings finish up in semicircular arches over columns with sixteen capitals, mainly of vegetation.

The typology of Torre Vieja (Old Tower) shares constructive features, in the project and the execution, with other well-known coastal fortifications equally attributed to Alfonso III: the towers of the West, in Catoira, closing the entrance to the estuary of river Ulla and protecting the access to Santiago de Compostela, a sanctuary particularly looked after by Alfonso III, the true creator of the diocese and promoter of the cult of the apostle.