Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos was one of the leading figures in the Spanish Enlightenment. The Birthplace Museum that bears his name is located in a mansion built between the late 14th and early 16th century, where the writer was born in 1744. He was to die in the Asturian village of Puerto de Vega in 1811.
Since the time of Jovellanos, the building has undergone several reforms affecting its façade and internal layout. In the 1950s, work began on adapting the building to convert it into a museum, which was finally opened in 1971. Adjoining the building is the Chapel of Remedies, which houses Jovellanos' tomb.
Since its opening, the museum's programming has focused on the study and dissemination of this Enlightenment figure, as well as on the conservation, documentation, research and dissemination of local artistic heritage.
