Asturias had a king who believed in building well, and Alfonso II, known as the Chaste, is the reason the church of San Julián de los Prados exists. He made Oviedo his capital in the early ninth century, and the basilica, known locally as Santullano, was raised outside the city walls around the year 830. It is the largest church of the Asturian pre-Romanesque style, a plain, tall building of stone with a red-tiled roof, and it has one thing that makes it unique.
That thing is paint. Inside, the walls are covered with mural decoration that imitates Roman architecture, with painted columns, curtains and buildings in perspective, all in soft red, ochre and blue. It is astonishing to see such work surviving from the ninth century, and the effect of these painted walls, especially in the long, narrow side chapels, is of a church that has been dressed for a party that never ended. UNESCO included it in the Oviedo and Kingdom of the Asturias listing in the 1980s.
It stands by a main road on the edge of the old city, so it is easy to reach and easy to miss. The church is a short ride from the centre, and the best approach is to park in the nearby streets rather than take the bike into the dense heart of the old town. Opening hours are limited and vary by season, so look at the current schedule before you go, and expect to pay a small fee or join a short guided visit.
Oviedo is also the beginning of the Camino Primitivo, the original pilgrimage route to Santiago, which pilgrims follow west into the Asturian mountains. Several of them will pass the church on their way. Their scallop shells and walking sticks are a common sight on these streets.
With over two hundred thousand people, Oviedo has all the fuel, food and accommodation you might need. Eat well: fabada, cheeses such as Cabrales and a bottle of cider are the local pleasures.