Covadonga


Covadonga

(kō`väthōn`gä), village, Oviedo prov., N Spain, in Asturias. A battle fought nearby sometime between 718 and 725 was the first victory of the Christians over the Moors; it had great symbolic significance in the Christian reconquest of Spain. The village attracts many tourists. Legend says that a cave near Covadonga was the refuge of King PelayoPelayo
, d. 737, first king (c.718–737) of Asturias. He was elected king by the tribespeople of Asturias and by Visigothic leaders who had escaped Tariq. His victory over the Moors at Covadonga sometime between 718 and 725 marked the beginning of Christian resistance to
..... Click the link for more information.
. The cave's chapel dates from the 8th cent.

Covadonga

 

a valley in Asturias, Spain. In 718 local popular militia led by Pelayo defeated a detachment of Arab aggressors at Covadonga. The battle impeded the Arabs’ advance northward on the peninsula and marked the beginning of the Reconquista.