Saturdays in Oviedo
Like most of Spain, Oviedo is known for its extensive weekend markets. The series of markets throughout the city center reflect the Spanish cultural values of leisure, family and food. Throughout Spain, socializing revolves around food. Whether you stop with a co-worker for a pincho (pintxo or pinchu in Asturian), go out for drinks and share tapas, split cachopo (an enormous deep fried stuffed steak dish) with friends in Asturias, or cook dinner with your family, the value of people and food go hand in hand. In Oviedo, Asturians take pride in the freshness of their ingredients. As our program director Jaime Duran told us during orientation, “In Asturias, even the cows have names.”
On the weekends, most Asturians make a trip to the El Fontan Market with their families.
Outside of the food markets, there are flower and flea markets that stretch throughout the old city.
In a small city like Oviedo, it’s common to catch up with family and friends at the market.
On some weekends, the markets are accompanied by a parade of traditional Asturian performers.
Oviedo is known for having sculptures everywhere. The two sculptures above represent a narrative about the adjacent fish market.