Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Church of Saint Dominic), Oviedo

Founded by the Dominican order in 1518, the Church of Saint Dominic showcases a blend of Asturian Renaissance and Baroque architectural styles. It was designed by Juan de Cerecedo, the Elder, and completed in the mid‑16th century. Although the original convent was burned during the 1934 uprising and later rebuilt as a school, the church itself survives intact-together with fragments of its cloister-retaining its status as a designated Asset of Cultural Interest since 1944.

Approach the building and you’ll immediately notice its grand neoclassical portico, added in the late 18th century by Manuel Reguera. This entrance, styled like a triumphal arch, frames a richly ornamented Plateresque façade with double pilasters, angel-like capitals, and a central coat of arms flanked by elegant niches. Inside, the single longitudinal nave is divided into five vaulted bays borne by slender pilasters, with side chapels cut into the walls and a choir loft at the rear.

Stepping beneath the soaring vaults, the interior reveals a wealth of Baroque craftsmanship. The main altar is a masterful example of Asturian Baroque, organized in bold vertical lines and elaborate carvings. In the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, you’ll find a richly adorned retablo by Manuel Pedredo Vigil featuring twenty-six gilt‑framed tableaux depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary. Nearby, other early‑18th‑century altarpieces honor the Nazareno and Saint Joseph-one of which houses an 18th‑century painting from 1798 by Francisco Reyter portraying the Marriage of the Virgin.

Since 1969, the church functions as a parish and remains the spiritual home of Oviedo’s oldest brotherhood-the Brotherhood of the Nazarene-particularly active during Holy Week celebrations, including the Nazarene procession winding through Oviedo’s old town from Santo Domingo church.