In most cities, the sculptures are almost more a perch for pigeons than a tribute. Growing generals on horseback, forgotten kings, busts of great men in corners where they don't bother you too much... In Oviedo, capital of the Principality of Asturias, it's the opposite. They have an intention, and they usually pay homage to a monarch, yes, but those that remind us of popular characters –real or fictitious– are more abundant and embellish an already beautiful, calm and friendly town.
In the center of the urban area, Oviedo residents and foreigners alike can put their arms around the shoulder of the figure – with a sad face, of course! – of the filmmaker Woody Allen, who was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in 2002. The bronze seems to walk in the rain with his hands in his pockets, dreamy.
In front of the Campoamor theatre, with a radically different style, is Culis monumentalibus, a huge tribute to rears. The tarnished bronze piece is four meters high, without a torso, and reflects the roundest buttocks imaginable.
The Asturcón, a mythical country horse, also has a life-size sculpture. It is not strictly figurative, but totally recognizable, with its rectilinear plates,
The Colombian artist Fernando Botero deposits one of his rounded works in Oviedo paying tribute to motherhood, which gives him the opportunity to cultivate his style of thick characters, in this case a mother with her baby in her arms, both stripped of their clothes.
Distressed is Bella Lola, sitting on a public bench. It will be difficult for him to face her, as he turns his head to the opposite side of whoever he wants to spend time with her. It is a tribute to the famous habanera of the same title and to the hopeful expectation of the wives of sailors who once spent their time waiting for their husbands to return from the sea, safe and sound if possible. It is an exchange with the Alicante Town Hall of Torrevieja, where there is an exact figure, and with whom Oviedo is twinned.
In the Plaza de Fontán, where the farmers' and artisans' market is held every Thursday and Saturday, there is a reproduction of two women offering their wares. It is thus remembered that they were the ones who had to take charge of the transactions after the Civil War, the men had perished, were imprisoned, exiled or engaged in other tasks.
Instead, it is a man who, squatting, stars in Fish Seller, with a box of fish being offered to the passerby. Very close, in Plaza Trascorrales, there is a petrified milk seller, with her donkey and everything.
Even a stray dog that was very famous half a century ago, Rufo, has his own sculpture. The people of Oviedo do not forget him, he was fed and pampered by everyone while he wandered the streets, without a master.
All of the aforementioned –and others– are located right in the old town and the center of Oviedo. But if you haven't had your fill of urban sculptures, head to the San Francisco park. There he will be able to chat for a while with Mafalda, Quino's sensational character, who is sitting on a bench. It is possible that she does not respond to her partner's requirements, but it is already known that Mafalda has always had a powerful inner life.
There is also La torera, who was not dedicated to deceiving brave miuras, but was nicknamed that way because she wore manoletinas slippers. What she was in charge of was photographing couples and families who were enjoying themselves in the green area. She is waiting there, with her camera and her tripod, and a toy horse to entertain the children. There is also another Maternity and an original sample of the so-called detachable sculpture titled Torso de Fruela I, which pays homage to an Asturian king from the 8th century (although it went down to posterity as El Cruel). It is a series of pieces that assemble perfectly.
The Oviedo tourist office promotes urban sculpture tourism by handing out a map where the 35 most outstanding ones are located, and which turn a walk through the Asturian capital into a beautiful art gymkhana.
