Sariego (Asturian: Sariegu) is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is bordered on the north by Gijón and Villaviciosa, on the east by Villaviciosa, Nava and Cabranes, on the south by Siero and Nava, and on the west by Siero. The source of the Nora River is within the municipality.
Geography and Demographics
Sariego covers an area of 25.73 km² (9.93 sq mi) and has a population of 1,252 inhabitants as of 2025. Its capital is Vega. The highest elevation is 731 m (2,398 ft). The demonym for residents is saregano/a. The municipality lies at an average altitude of approximately 272 meters and is located about 24 km from Oviedo, the provincial capital.
History
The earliest known historical record of Sariego dates to a document from 996 AD, by which King Bermudo II and his wife Elvira granted properties in the Sariego valley to the Oviedo monastery of San Pelayo. In 1201, King Alfonso IX ceded the council of Sariego, with all its assets, to the monastery of Valdediós. Sariego constituted a municipality in 1309 and 1504. According to the writer Jovellanos, the original capital was Moral.
Parishes
The municipality is divided into several parishes, including Vega (the capital), San Román, Santiago, Narzana, and others.
Monuments and Heritage
Sariego contains notable Romanesque religious architecture:
- Church of Santiago de Sariego – of pre-Romanesque foundation, it preserves three 10th-century pre-Romanesque windows.
- Church of San Román – a 13th-century rural Romanesque construction.
- Church of Santa María de Narzana – built in the last third of the 12th century, featuring richly decorated capitals and a semicircular apse.
- Palacio de los Vigil Quiñones (El Palacio de Moral) – a 16th-century palace with two flanking towers and family coats of arms.
Culture and Festivities
The principal holidays are that of Santiago (the weekend before July 25) and San Pedrín de la Cueva (the third Sunday in August). The municipality lies along the Camino de Santiago (Northern Route), which passes through its territory.
Toponymy
Decree 116/2005 (November 17, 2005) granted official status to the Asturian forms of municipal place names, with the exception of Lamasanti/Llamasanti, which retains a bilingual name.
