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| ESPAÑA | Spain |
| Principado de Asturias | Principality of Asturias |
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Gijón (Asturian: Xixón) is situated on the coast of central Asturias, about 25 km northeast of
Oviedo, the capital of the autonomous community of Asturias. The municipality has a population of about 267,700 (2022) and thus is the
largest city by population of Asturias.
We must go back at least two thousand five hundred years to find the origins of Gijón. On the "Campa Torres", an enclave on the western border of Gijón Borough Council, the remains of an important hill-fort were found. It was probably inhabited by the Astur gens of the "Cilúrnigos", whose name reflects the main activity they carried out, metalworking. During the Roman times, both the Cilurnigos and Romans settled in the village. It was also during this time that the village was moved from the hill to a nearby peninsula. This formally started Gijón History. The city became a vital place for interaction between the cities because it was situated at the center part of the Cantabrian coast. By the year 300, the whole Roman settlement in the area was fortified. The territory was occupied continuously during the Middle Ages, during which the place was known as Gigia, proof of which is the Romanesque churches dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. The founding of the Puebla (village) in 1270 implied an urban expansion that was to come to a standstill at the end of the 14th century, when Gijón became the stage for the Trastámara conflicts, during which the town was almost completely destroyed. In the 18th century, the erudite Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos laid out the plans for the development of Gijón. The process of industrialisation begun in the mid-19th century changed the city into the industrial centre of Asturias, with its leading El Musel Port, shipyards and numerous manufacturing installations. Today Gijón's economic success is only surpassed by the region’s capital city of Oviedo and its population is now the largest in Asturias.
The picture on glass no. 2723 shows a view of the
Embarcadero
The Palacio del Conde de Revillagigedo [near left, no. 4748: background left]
was commissioned in 1704 by the first Marquis of San Esteban de Natahoyo, using a pre-existing medieval Gothic tower from the
15th century. The Baroque building was completed in 1721. It is known as the Revillagigedo Palace because the title of counts of
Revillagigedo was later fell to the family that built it. Both the palace and the adjoining collegiate church of San Juan belong to the
Caja de Ahorros de Asturias Banking Foundation and house the Liberbank Palacio de Revillagigedo Cultural Center. The building was
declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1974.
The monument to Don Pelayo [near left, no. #: foreground right]
was created in 1891 by the sculptor José María López Rodríguez. The sculpture represents Don Pelayo
(d. 737), founder of the Kingdom of Asturias and considered the initiator of the Reconquista. The statue has a height of
2.8 metres and weighs 4 tons. It is believed that it was made with bronze cannons taken from the Moroccans during the
Second Moroccan War (1859–1860).
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gijón;
http://www.northspain.info/gijon/gijon-history;
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_Revillagigedo;
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monumento_a_Don_Pelayo_en_Gij%C3%B3n, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monumento_a_Pelayo;
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Pelayo]
![[scale]](lineal.jpg)