La Foncalada fountain

Look down: this small stone structure preserves an understanding of the city older than its shopping streets. La Foncalada is a pre-Romanesque fountain associated with the reign of Alfonso III. Its significance lies in something ordinary: water also belonged to the architecture of power. Notice the little roof, the arch and the cross carved above the entrance. An extraordinary trace of the kingdom of Asturias does not require a huge building. The fountain belongs to the heritage ensemble recognised by UNESCO. View it without entering the structure or approaching wet surfaces, then compare its scale with the cathedral.