Fruela I founded the cathedral in 781, and Alfonso II enlarged it in 802 and created the See of Oviedo in 810. The infobox gives Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón as architect, but the body credits him only with rebuilding the spire after lightning in 1575.
The introduction dates the present Gothic building to 1388, while a later section places its start at the end of the 13th century. The main chapel was finished by 1450 and the transept and three aisles by 1500. A single tower over the narthex's south gate was finished in 1551. Juan de Naveda designed the ambulatory in the early 17th century.
The Cámara Santa is the only surviving part of the early complex, with burials below and relics above, including the Cross of the Angels and the Victory Cross. A late Baroque chapel replaced the demolished Santa María del Rey Casto in the 18th century. Restoration ran from 1998 to 2002.
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