Historic Covadonga: Pelayo and the origins of the Kingdom of Asturias

Although largely unknown, the history of Cuadonga/Covadonga prior to the military conflict is steeped in traditions linked to Asturian paganism and its Christianisation. It would not be surprising if the present-day Marian grotto were originally a sacred site for certain natural deities, particularly female river deities such as Deva – the ‘mother goddess’ – after whom the river that rises at the foot of the cave is named. It is likely that by the time of Pelayo it was already a Christianised site, serving as a rock-cut chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Pelayo’s leadership was undisputed. Despite the difficulty in finding documentary sources from that period, everything suggests that he was a charismatic and courageous figure, capable of rising to the challenge he faced in the year 718 when the Asturians rose up and elected him as their leader. This was followed by the battle and victory over Alkama’s Muslim army, thus giving rise to the Kingdom of Asturias. Thus was written the first chapter of a new era in European history.

According to the chronicles, a small group of Christian warriors stood their ground against a large Muslim army sent from Córdoba. The Asturians took up strong positions on the slopes of Mount Auseva, a strategic location from which to defeat their enemies, who, whilst fleeing through the Picos de Europa, ultimately perished either due to the Asturian harassment or the treacherous terrain. Medieval writers saw these events as divine intervention, and thus arose the legend of a miraculous victory brought about by the Virgin Mary.

Today it is possible to follow the route taken by the Cordoban forces as they fled, entrusting their escape to the protection of the Picos de Europa. Setting out from Mount Auseva, Alkama’s defeated army must have crossed the beautiful landscapes of Orandi, the River Cares, Bulnes, Pandébano, Áliva and Espinama until they reached Cosgaya, where a landslide from Mount Subiedes ultimately swept the last survivors of the expedition into the River Deva. View the route

An aura of mystery and legend, lost in the mists of time, surrounds the figure of Pelayo. Nevertheless, the picture that emerges is that of a magnate of possibly Hispano-Roman or Romanised Gothic origin, with estates and prestige in the centralof Asturias, who may have held positions of responsibility in the final years of the Visigothic Kingdom and who initially served the Muslim governor based in Gijón, following the Muslim conquest of Asturian territory from 714 onwards.

Pelayo’s prestige amongst the Asturians led to his being elected at an assembly in 718 to lead a resistance group against the Muslim governor of Gijón, an event which took place in the foothills of the Picos de Europa. Pelayo led a revolt, the cause of which may have been an increase in taxes imposed by the conquerors following their first few years of rule, although one chronicle suggests that the revolt was sparked by the humiliating marriage proposal made by the Muslim governor Munnuza to Pelayo’s sister.

The account of Pelayo as recounted in the chronicles and tradition accords a certain prominence to several women in his family. Firstly, one of his sisters – whose name is unknown, although a forged document refers to her as Dosinda or Adosinda – is said to have been the cause of the Asturian rebellion, as she was sought in marriage by the Muslim prefect of Gijón, Munnuza. Similarly, we know that Pelayo married a woman whose name is revealed in his first epitaph at Abamia: Gaudiosa. From this couple were born, in addition to their son Favila, their daughter Ermesinda, who would ensure the continuity of the Pelagian line through marriage following her brother’s death, by marrying Alfonso I, son of Pedro, Duke of Cantabria.

After nineteen years as leader, Pelayo died in Canicas in the year 737. According to the 12th-century Bishop Pelayo of Oviedo, he was buried in the nearby church of Santa Eulalia de Abamia alongside his wife, Gaudiosa. Tradition holds that his remains were transferred five centuries later, on the orders of Alfonso X, to the Holy Cave of Covadonga, where there is a tomb, dating from the 16th century, which is said to contain his remains and those of his sister Dosinda.

The famous episode of the bear that killed Favila.

Pelayo was succeeded on the throne by his son Favila, who reigned for just two years. According to medieval texts, this was because he met his death very soon afterwards, having committed the folly of attempting to hunt a bear alone, which killed him in the woods near Canicas. Although the exact location of the incident is unknown, local tradition holds that it took place in the village of Llueves, where an inscription still stands today bearing witness to that historic event. Tradition also holds that at the monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva, the Romanesque capitals on its façade recount this story in stone.

Apart from his tragic end, Favila is also known for having commissioned the Chapel of Santa Cruz in Cangas de Onís. Thanks to its foundation stone – now lost – we know that this church, built by Favila, his wife Froiliuba and their children, was consecrated in the year 737. The church – now extensively restored – was built directly on top of a Neolithic dolmen that is still visible, no doubt with the intention of Christianising a site of great spiritual importance to the region. According to later legends, the cross raised by Pelayo at Cuadonga/Covadonga – which Alfonso III would later cover with gold and jewels – was kept here: the Cross of Victory.

On Favila’s death, Alfonso I, son of Duke Pedro of Cantabria and son-in-law of Pelayo – having married his daughter Ermesinda – ascended the Asturian throne. According to the chronicles, under Alfonso I, the Asturians’ opposition ceased to be merely one of resistance and became a direct confrontation with Muslim power; they occupied the area north of the Cantabrian Mountains and carried out several raids into the Duero valley. Having died in Cangas, he was buried, according to tradition, in a ‘monastery of Santa María’, identified as the Sanctuary of Covadonga, in whose cave he now rests alongside his wife.

However, he is said to have previously founded a church in the vicinity of Cangas, which would serve as the precursor to the monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva. The origins of this monastery are closely linked to the figure of Alfonso I, as tradition held that the monarchs had built a church and royal mausoleum within the parish of Villanueva, to which they granted the title of Monastery of Santa María. Archaeological evidence has lent some certainty to these links, as architectural remains and materials dating from the eighth century have been identified beneath the site of the Benedictine monastery.

The former parish church of Cangas de Onís is a monumental 16th-century building, which still houses interesting Renaissance and Baroque murals. Closed for worship in 1963, since 2006 it has housed the ‘Aula del Reino de Asturias’, an interpretation centre where visitors can take a comprehensive tour through the history of the Asturian monarchy.

Through a variety of audiovisual resources, display panels and models, as well as games designed for younger visitors, the centre offers an insight into the history of this period, which begins with the proclamation of Pelayo as king in 718 and the subsequent Battle of Covadonga in 722, right up to the transfer of the court from Oviedo to León in the year 910. The various stages in the history of the Asturian kingdom are reflected in this modern facility, which is a must-visit for all lovers of history, art and Asturias.