The Valdez family has been traced back to Oviedo, Spain; which is the capital  of Asturas Spain. It is located 276 miles north of Madrid and only 16 miles  from the Costa Verde.

Despite its high concentration of industry and mining, the area has unspoiled  scenery. It is very pleasant in the summer, while much of Spain is unbearably  hot.

Oviedo has had a long and violent history. Razed in the 8th century during the  Reconquest, it was rebuilt in an architectural style known as Asturian pre- Romanesque, which predated many of the greatest achievments under the Moors.

As late as the 1930`s, Oviedo was suffering violent upheavals. An insurrection  in the mining areas on October 5, 1934, led to a seizure of the town by miners,  who set up a revolutionary government. The subsequent fighting led to the  destruction of many historical monuments. The cathedral was damaged and the  university was set on fire. Even more destruction came during teh Spanish Civil  War.

Oviedo has been rebuilt around the Parque de San Francisco and contains some  historical and artistic monuments, the most improtant being the cathedral. The  Gothic Church was begun in 1348 and completed at the end of the 15th century,  except the spire, which dates from 1556. Inside is an altarpiece in the florid  Gothic style, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Another historic building which is located behind the cathedral is the Museo  Arqucologico, a former convent dating from the 15th century, which houses  prehistoric relics discovered in Asturias.

Standing above Oviedo is a 9th century palace and hunting lodge of Ramiro I. In  the 12th century this was converted into a church.