Villaviciosa () is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensiv ...

, Spain. José Ángel Hevia Velasco was born in the town. Villaviciosa is important for the production of

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...

. The town also produces

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

and relies on tourism, with natural landscapes and beaches.

Geography

Villaviciosa is situated on the central eastern coastline, and borders the Asturian municipalities of Gijón and

Siero Siero is a municipality of the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ...

to the west,

Sariego Sariego ( Asturian: Sariegu) is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Gijón and Villaviciosa, on the east by Villaviciosa, Nava and Cabranes, on the south by Siero ...

, Nava,

Cabranes Cabranes is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias. Some Towns of cabranes are: Santolaya, Torazu, Fresnéu, Graméu, Pandenes, Viñón, Niao, Arboleya, etc. It is bordered on the north by Villaviciosa, on ...

and

Piloña Piloña () is a municipality in the province and autonomous community of Asturias, northwestern Spain. Its capital is the town of Infiesto. Piloña is bounded to the north by Villaviciosa and Colunga, to the east by Parres, to the west by Na ...

to the south and

Colunga Colunga () is a municipality in the Autonomous community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It lies on the Cantabrian Sea, and is bordered to the west by Villaviciosa, to the south by Parres and Piloña, and to the east by Caravia. Polit ...

to the east. The total area is

Demographics

It had a population of 14,962 in 2011.

History

In prehistory, several Hill forts surrounded Villaviciosa, most located in the axis of the

ria A ria (; gl, ría) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they ca ...

, near Rodiles. During the time of the

Kingdom of Asturias The Kingdom of Asturias ( la, Asturum Regnum; ast, Reinu d'Asturies) was a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the Visigothic nobleman Pelagius. It was the first Christian political entity established after the Umayyad conquest of ...

in the 8th century, the population migrated to areas such as

Amandi Amandi is a town and union council in Bannu District Bannu District ( ps, بنو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Bannu Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was recorded as a district in 1861 during the British Raj ...

Camoca Camoca is one of 41 parishes (administrative divisions) in Villaviciosa, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. The ''parroquia'' is in size, with a population of 132 (INE INE, Ine or in ...

, and Bedriñana, appearing frequently in the ''Maliayo territory''. By the time of

Alfonso IX of León Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León and Galicia from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death. He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion and founded the Universit ...

, in the 13th century, the municipality had begun to repopulate, as witnessed in 17 October 1270, when King

Alfonso X The Wise Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, es, el Sabio; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 30 May 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germ ...

created the document evidencing the establishment of a population in Buetes. At the same time, a

Cistercian Order The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...

emerged in the valley of Boides creating the Monasterio de Santa María de Valdediós. In the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

landed and was hosted in the town (the most important event in village history). The King arrived at the port of Tazones due to a storm that altered his course on the way to Santander. In the 19th century, the town was repeatedly attacked. It was occupied several times by French troops during the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...

. In 1835, the community was officially established and municipal business grew significantly due to its location on the river, which at the time was navigable.

Parroquias

The capital is the town of the same name. It is in size. Villaviciosa includes 41 ''parroquias'' (

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Notable buildings

* Church of San Salvador de Valdediós * Church of Santa Eulalia de la Lloraza *

Iglesia de Santo Tomás The Iglesia de Santo Tomás is a Roman Catholic church in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. It is located in the market place of the town which is known for its pottery and contains the Chichicastenango Regional Museum. It was built around 1545 atop a ...

* Monasterio de San Martín

References

{{authority control Municipalities in Asturias * Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in Asturias