The Principality of Asturias (El Principado de Asturias)

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE, the Visigoths took over the Iberian Peninsula for about the next 200 years. After the arrival of Muslim Umayyad forces from North Africa to Iberia in 711, the Visigoth kingdoms began to fall. One Visigoth nobleman named Pelagius (locally called Pelayo) fled to the mountains of Asturias and took a stand against and defeated the Umayyad forces in 722 at the Battle of Covadonga. This was the start of the Kingdom of Asturias.

Pelayo’s stand against the Umayyad invasion at Covadonga is a very important event in the history of both Asturias and Spain. Behind the wall of mountains in Asturias, the kingdom grew and eventually spread to challenge for control of Iberia before the eventual defeat of the Muslim rule some 700 years later in 1492.

Pelayo is seen as the founder of the Kingdom of Asturias and the originator of the Reconquista, the fight for the control of the peninsula. Statues of his likeness and his name abound throughout Asturias where he has taken on an almost mythological status.

Later Asturian kings eventually came to locate their capital in Oviedo in 810 as the kingdom continued to fight against the Umayyad Caliphate in the south.

Statue of Pelayo at Covadonga in central Asturias, site of the 722CE battle against the Umayyad forces.

The Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga rebuilt and completed in 1901 plays an important role in commemorating Pelayo’s victory.

Pelayo’s statue above the Plazuela del Marqués in Gijón.

Pelayo’s depiction along with other kings of the Asturian Kingdom in Oviedo.

Statue of King Ramiro I (790-850 CE) who ruled Asturias for 8 years after a struggle for succession following the heirless Alfonso II.

Alfonso II (759-842 CE) was a key figure in the defense of the Asturian Kingdom. His statue is prominently displayed near the Cathedral of Oviedo.

Various other Asturian kings on display in Oviedo.

While the Umayyad Caliphate that ruled much of the Iberian Peninsula was a strong influence on the types and styles of architecture in the rest of Spain, Asturias, being Christian, continued with a different style of architecture that connected with the rest of Christian Europe. From 700 to 900 CE, many fine examples of what is called Pre-Romanesque were built in Asturias.

San Julián de los Prados, known as Santullano, was built between 812-842 CE under King Alfonso II. It is located in central Oviedo and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Interior of San Julián de los Prados.

La Foncalada is a public water fountain in Oviedo built in the late 800s CE under King Alfonso III.

Originally built as a palace for King Ramiro I in 842 CE, Santa María del Naranco later became a church. It is another fine example of PreRomanesque architecture in Oviedo.

Tradition has it that the Apostle James’ body was discovered in Compostela in northwestern Spain between 818 and 842 CE. Asturian King Alfonso II made a pilgrimage west from Oviedo to Compostela to see the apostle’s remains. This trip started a centuries long tradition of pilgrims making their way across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Though many other routes exist, Oviedo is considered to be where the pilgrimage first began and is the start of the Camino Primitivo (“original way”) which extends 200 miles.

Even today, annually about 400,000 “peregrinos” from around the world complete the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela via different routes by foot, bicycle, or on horseback, many traveling through Asturias. The Camino Primitivo winds through pastures and orchards, over mountains, and across rivers following a well marked trail. I was lucky enough to see the great variety of the Asturian landscape by completing this 200 mile trek on foot in the fall 2023.

The first pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is said to have been from Oviedo when King Alfonso II made the journey in 813 CE. The route is now known as the Camino Primitivo (Original Way).

Statues of St. James (the patron of pilgrims and all of Spain) can be found all along the 200 mile route to Santiago de Compostela.

Sign indicating the route of the first stage leaving Oviedo heading to the town of Grado to the west.

Sunrise over the mountains of Asturias along the Camino Primitivo.

Pilgrims and travelers on the Camino Primitivo are guided by markers such as this one.

Rising as high as 3,681 ft above sea level, the Camino Primitivo allows for expansive views of Asturias and neighboring Galicia.

Travellers are always happy to see the seashell way markers.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela marks the end of the many routes pilgrims follow across the peninsula.