La Vega, a New Cultural Heart for the Oviedo of the Future

Oviedo City Council has launched the process to transform the former La Vega Arms Factory from a closed and isolated site into a fully integrated part of the city. This strategic intervention aligns with the vision of Oviedo as European Capital of Culture 2031, placing culture at the centre of urban, social and economic transformation.
The imminent establishment of the monitoring committee предусмотрed in the agreement signed in September 2024 by the City Council, the Government of Spain and the Government of the Principality of Asturias marks the formal start of a long-awaited project. The aim is to recover La Vega as an open space combining cultural uses, green areas, economic activity and housing, and to reconnect it with the neighbourhoods of La Tenderina and Ventanielles, as well as with the Santullano boulevard.
In the coming weeks, an ideas competition will be launched to define the future of the site, ensuring the protection of the pre-Romanesque church of San Julián de los Prados, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the preservation of the buildings with the greatest historical value. The demolition of the surrounding walls will represent a symbolic gesture of openness and reconnection with the city.
The project envisages a mix of uses that will strengthen La Vega’s role as a new cultural hub. Some of the proposed initiatives are already included in the Strategic Plan for Culture that underpins Oviedo’s 2031 bid, such as the creation of a film school, a large performing arts venue, a contemporary creation centre and a major central library.
The recovery of La Vega represents a city-wide commitment consistent with European values of participation, sustainability and access to culture, reinforcing Oviedo’s ambition to position itself on the European cultural map in the lead-up to 2031.