In front of you is Fontán Square, a lively rectangular plaza surrounded by colorful, traditional buildings with covered arcades and bustling outdoor cafés-just look ahead for the open space filled with people and market stalls right in the heart of the old town.
Welcome to the legendary Fontán Square, where Oviedo’s history bubbles up like the waters that once gave this place its name! Imagine standing here hundreds of years ago-not in a plaza, but at the edge of a natural lagoon, supplied by bubbling springs. If you close your eyes and listen, you might just hear the gentle splashing of water and distant voices as noble Oviedo families promenade along the banks, while farmers trudge in from the countryside, arms weighed down with milk, fresh vegetables, cheese, and chickens.
Back then, this was the city’s playground-a place for the upper-class to stroll and socialize, and for country folk to peddle their wares. The lagoon attracted more than just buyers and sellers: where there’s a crowd, there are craftsmen, so soon you’d find blacksmiths clanking away, basket weavers showing off their handiwork, and laughter floating above the hubbub.
But as you might guess, a lagoon in the heart of a growing city isn’t exactly a recipe for fresh air. As the water stagnated, the smell got... let’s say, "noticeable"-and the city decided enough was enough. In August of 1523, the lagoon was drained, and by 1559, a fountain and a public washhouse had replaced the old waters. The area began to transform, piece by piece, into a lively urban space.
Fast forward a bit, and a grand new chapter begins-Magdalena de Ulloa, the widow of Luis de Quijada (let’s call her Oviedo’s answer to a fairy godmother), decided to build a Jesuit college right here in 1587. Once the building was done, clever townsfolk recycled leftover bricks and stones to lay out the early foundations of the square. Why let good construction materials go to waste, right?
The area kept transforming through the 1600s, evolving from open markets to a proper "corral de comedias"-imagine a theater right here, full of locals gasping, laughing, and cheering the actors on. Eventually, this was replaced by the grand Campoamor Theater, but those echoes of applause? Some say they’re still hiding in the cobblestones!
By 1792, the town hall decided it was time to snap things into shape, and under the guidance of architect Francisco Pruneda y Cañal, the square was rebuilt with a grand plan: a neat rectangle with four entrances, forty shop stalls, and stylish porticoes circling the square. It didn’t quite work out perfectly-Oviedo is nothing if not quirky-but the charming mismatched heights and uniquely shaped stores give the plaza its cozy, welcoming feel.
Look around, and you’ll notice the colorful facades, the porticoes supported by columns, and-if you squint-a little bit of mischief. That’s because the square’s legendary low fountain, built in 1657, was famous for making everyone-no matter how tall-bend down deep for a drink. It humbled even the proudest nobles, so locals made plenty of jokes about it. The humorist Luis de Tapia even wrote a poem about this fountain’s “special talent” for humbling the haughty-nobody in Oviedo could escape a bent back and a slightly bruised ego at the Caño del Fontán!
The square didn’t always have it easy. By the late 20th century, time had taken its toll: buildings sagged, paint peeled, and the heart of the square began to falter. In a bold move, the city decided to demolish almost everything-but kept the corner where the sidrería Casa Ramón was. Like a phoenix from the ashes (or perhaps a cider from the apple press), the square was reborn and reopened in 1997, dazzling and full of life.
Today, Fontán Square is two plazas in one-the grand, arcaded space in front of you, and the nearby Daoiz y Velarde, surrounded by baroque palaces. Step here on a Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday, and you’ll be swept up in the famous market, a whirl of voices, colors, and smells.
So take a moment. Hear the voices of the past, feel the centuries of change beneath your feet, and, if you can, imagine what it might have been like to stoop for a drink at that mischievous little fountain-because in the Fontán, history never stands still, and there’s always something sparkling just below the surface!
