The Archaeological Museum of Asturias sits in the former monastery of San Vicente, one of the historic anchors of old Oviedo. Its collections move from prehistoric Asturias through Roman material and the early medieval kingdom, which makes it especially useful in a city famous for pre-Romanesque churches.
Visit before heading out to Santa Maria del Naranco or San Julian de los Prados. The museum gives those monuments a deeper setting, showing Asturias as a region of caves, hillforts, monasteries, and stubborn northern identity rather than just a pretty stop on the way to the Picos.