The old town of the town of Avilés was declared a Historic-Artistic Site on May 27, 1955; There are very interesting works of both a religious and civil nature. Streets such as Galiana, Rivero, La Ferrería and San Francisco testify to their history with magnificent buildings and arcades.
Listed as the second best old town in Asturias after Oviedo, the complex is made up of the town's Walls, Plaza de España, Calle de la Ferrería, Calle de Pedro Solís, Calle San Bernardo, a square in front of the Palacio de Camposagrado, Rivero Street, Palacio Valdés Street, Carlos Lobo Square, San Francisco Street, Carbayo Square, Old jail and Canapé.
His art ranges from Romanesque to Modernism, leaving its mark on the most varied schools, both in religious and civil styles.
The town has a declared area of ??Monumental Artistic Interest, the old center for the set of buildings, palaces, streets, portico and churches. Among them we can highlight:
The current Church of San Nicolás de Bari , built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Its main Romanesque portal stands out, in which there are some identifiable primitive capitals. This temple underwent profound modifications that have distorted the primitive work, in 1499 a chapel attached to the north wall of the nave was built by Pedro Solís, it is a Gothic work influenced by the Cathedral of Oviedo.
The Chapel of the Wings, an independent funerary building from the 14th century, from the transition period from Romanesque to Gothic. Its most characteristic element is the vault with a covered structure.
The Old Church of Sabugo, begun in the thirteenth century, took a long time to complete, it is a Romanesque church, with two façades, one to the south belonging to the late Romanesque and the other main one from the defined protogothic. In 1740 the wooden roof was replaced by the current vault.
Within its civil style we can highlight several houses and palaces.
Baragañas House or Valdecarzana Palace . It is the only testimony of medieval civil architecture, its facade is the classic one of a commercial establishment open towards the street with large pointed arches.
The current 17th-century Town Hall building, which follows the post-Herrerian pattern in its construction, is located in a triangle formed by the Town Hall, García Pumarino's house and the palace of the Marquisate of Ferrera.
The Ferrera Palace, built in the seventeenth century, is a building of great sobriety in which the irregular plan of the tower stands out, which is square, its main facade also stands out, with lintelled balconies and the coat of arms of the Marquis .
The Fountain of the Caños is one of the most emblematic architectural symbols of the historic center of Avilés. Its location, between the Ferrera Palace and the Church of San Nicolás de Bari, helps to enhance this original 17th century monument. At the end of the 16th century, the works aimed at channeling the water supply to Avilés began, taking as its origin the high area, in the surroundings of La Villa, specifically in the place known as Valparaíso. Previously, the water flowed freely through channels, which was not very hygienic, and what is worse: it was a dangerous source of diseases; therefore, the work of channeling it is undertaken. The work, which lasts seven years, gave rise to public sources in the city, and it is this one in San Francisco that is preserved from that time. The one in the Caños de Rivero is of later construction. The source of theCaño s de San Francisco is a unique monument: it consists of a frontal from which six human heads emerge that flow the water towards a rectangular basin that adopts an oval shape in its center; Above three of the heads there are heraldic elements: on the sides, two shields of Avilés, and in the center, that of arms of the kingdom of Castile. The avilesinos spent years using the water from these sources for their domestic use. Formerly the basin served as a trough for cattle.
The Palacio de García Pumarino, a 17th century building that maintains a façade harmony with the City Hall, was built by the Indiano from Avilesino Rodrigo García Pumarino. The arcade incorporates seven arches facing the street and a window on each of them, the sides host a balcony on the upper floor. Today it houses the "Marta" cinemas, formerly "Marta y Maria", in honor of the two sisters from the Palacio Valdes novel who supposedly lived in that Palace.
Other notable buildings to highlight are: the church of Santo Tomas de Cantorbery in Sabugo, in the neo-Gothic style designed by Luis Bellido, the Armando Palacio Valdés Theater , the neo-baroque building by Manuel del Busto, the School of Arts and Crafts and the Gran Hotel, works both by Armando Fernández cueto, or the Hospital de Caridad designed by Manuel del Busto and Tomás Acha.
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