Velarde Palace
Velarde Palace is one of the most important civil buildings in 18th-century Oviedo. Designed by the Asturian architect Manuel Reguera González and built between 1765 and 1770, it is now part of the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias.
Velarde Palace · Oviedo
A major 18th-century palace
Velarde Palace was designed for Pedro Velarde Cienfuegos, a municipal councillor of Oviedo, and built between 1765 and 1770.
To build the new residence, an earlier family property, rebuilt in the 17th century, was demolished. The new palace was conceived on a far more ambitious scale and reflected the social standing achieved by the Velarde family.
The architecture of Manuel Reguera
The palace is one of the finest examples of 18th-century academic palace architecture in Asturias. Its design combines the Baroque tradition with a more ordered and scholarly architectural language, reflecting Manuel Reguera’s academic training.
The main façade, facing Santa Ana Street, is built of dressed stone. The entrance portal forms the central axis of the composition and continues vertically through a balcony and a large coat of arms. The balconies on the principal floor are alternately crowned with triangular and curved pediments.
The courtyard and imperial staircase
The interior is arranged around a quadrangular courtyard. On the ground floor, two segmental arches on each side rest on Tuscan columns, creating one of the building’s most distinctive architectural spaces.
Another outstanding feature is the grand stone imperial staircase leading to the principal floor. Together, the courtyard and staircase reinforce the ceremonial character of the palace as the residence of an important Oviedo family.
From the Santo Ángel school to the Museum of Fine Arts
Before becoming a museum, Velarde Palace belonged to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Guardian Angel, which used it as a girls’ school. The building was acquired in 1971 for incorporation into the future Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias.
Between 1973 and 1976, adaptation work for its new museum use was carried out under architect Florencio Muñiz Uribe. The Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias opened in 1980, with Velarde Palace as its first home.
Further work was later undertaken to integrate it with other museum buildings. Velarde Palace has been officially protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest) since 25 May 1983.
Art inside the palace
Today, Velarde Palace houses an important part of the historic collections of the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias, mainly featuring works dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries.
Its galleries allow visitors to view paintings and sculptures from different periods while exploring one of Oviedo’s principal historic palaces. The building itself is therefore an essential part of the museum experience.
Location and visit
Address: 1 Santa Ana Street · 33003 Oviedo.
Location: in the heart of Oviedo’s historic centre, very close to San Salvador Cathedral and Trascorrales Square.
Current use: it forms part of the Museum of Fine Arts of Asturias. Velarde Palace can be explored as part of a museum visit, subject to current opening hours and access conditions.