Plaza del Fontán, Historic square in Oviedo, Spain
Plaza del Fontán is a rectangular square in the heart of Oviedo's old town, surrounded by multi-story buildings with ground-floor arcades that house shops and restaurants. It has four entrances and functions as both a market area and a gathering space.
The square was built in the 16th century on the site of a natural lagoon that was drained in 1523. After the draining, the area gradually became the main trading hub of the old city.
The square appears in Ramon Pérez de Ayala's novel "Tigre Juan" as a central setting, making it a place of literary memory in the city. The arcades around it are still used by locals who stop for coffee or browse the shops beneath them.
A market runs on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, selling fresh flowers, local crafts, and regional products from Asturias. The arcades offer shelter when the weather is bad, and the four entrances make it easy to move around the square.
The name "Fontán" comes from an old fountain that once stood in the square and supplied water to the neighborhood. The fountain itself has long disappeared, but its name stayed and still points to how the place was once used.
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