Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista

In 1752, the regent of the audience of the Principality of Asturias, Isidoro Gil de Jaz, proposed to the Crown a Royal Hospice and Hospital for Orphans, Foundlings and Homeless with the purpose of collecting orphans and invalids and give them instruction to develop some work. The building, designed by Pedro Antonio Menéndez de Ambás, was raised from 1752 onwards with the charity of the Asturians, and its chapel, the work of Ventura Rodríguez, was completed in 1770. It served as the Provincial Hospice until 1965. In 1973 it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and on June 4, 1974 it opened as the Hotel de la Reconquista, following a renovation by architects Sainz de Vicuña and Fernández Cuevas. Since 1980 it has been the venue for the Princess of Asturias Awards jury meetings and decisions.

The building, the work of the architect Pedro Antonio Menéndez de Ambás, is of baroque style with a vast floor plan and four large floors with interior galleries. The baroque facade is crowned by a majestic royal coat of arms. In the center stands the chapel designed by Ventura Rodriguez, dedicated to the Virgin of Covadonga, with circular inside and octagonal on the outside, topped by a large dome 28 meters high. The different floors overlook the chapel by means of wide tribunes along almost all its contour. The total extension reaches almost 15,000 m².

The hotel is in the center of Oviedo, a few steps from the Gothic Cathedral of San Salvador with the pre-Romanesque Holy Chamber. The Campoamor Theater, where the Princess of Asturias Awards are presented, is nearby. The old town with its squares, cider houses and the sculpture of La Regenta complete the walk. The pre-Romanesque monuments of Oviedo (Santa María del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo), a World Heritage Site, are just a few kilometers away.