Page 108 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

106  nor thern sp ain region b y region

encouraged by the appearance
on the battlefield of the Virgin
Mary, destroyed the Moorish
army. The town remains an
important shrine, and crowds of
pilgrims come to visit the cave
where Pelayo is said to have
lived, which is picturesquely set
on a hillside. Inside the cave is a
chapel containing the warrior’s
tomb. In 1886–1901, a Neo-
Romanesque basilica was
built on the spot where Pelayo
scored his historic victory.
The name of the town derives
The 18th-century Ermita de Santa Cruz, in Cangas de Onís from cova longa (cueva larga
in Spanish) – the long cave
Exploring the Picos Watersports enthusiasts might where the warriors prayed
de Europa wish to attempt the 3-hour to the Virgin before the battle.
Aside from exploring the canoe trip along the Río Sella.
mountain trails, it is well worth P Arenas de Cabrales
spending time discovering the P Covadonga Asturias. * 2,000. n Carretera
towns and villages located Asturias. General; 985 84 67 47. _ San Juan
within the national park, where Set in the northern range of the (24 Jun), San Pedro (29 Jun), Fiesta
many important historic Picos de Europa, Covadonga is a del Queso (last Sun in Aug).
monuments can be found. place of importance for Asturias, This village, situated 25 km
and for the whole of Spain. It (16 miles) east of Cangas de
P Cangas de Onís was here, in 722, that Pelayo, a Onis, is famous as the place
Asturias. * 6,800. n Avenida de leader of the Visigothic nobles, where cabrales, a pungent
Covadonga 1; 985 84 80 05. ( Sun. won a battle to stop the further blue goat’s cheese, is made.
_ Fiesta de San Antonio (13 Jun), advance of the Moors in this On the last Sunday in August,
Fiesta del Pastor (25 Jul). part of Asturias. According to an Asturian cheese festival takes
∑ cangasdeonis.com Christian tradition, Pelayo’s men, place here, during which the
The first capital of the king dom place comes alive with
of Asturias, Cangas de Onís is music and dancing.
one of the gateways to the The village features
Picos de Europa National Park. many beautiful 17th-
Preserved here is the Ermita and 18th-century
de Santa Cruz, which was built homesteads, of which
in 733 on the site of an earlier the most arresting is the
shrine, with a fascinating Bronze Casa Palacio de los
Age dolmen by the entrance. Mestas. On the right
The ivy-clad bridge, with its tall bank of the Ribelas river
arches, dates from the reign of rises the small Gothic
Alfonso XI of Castile (1312–50). Cave containing Pelayo’s tomb in Covadonga Iglesia de Santa María
de Llas, affording fine views of
Pelayo, Ruler of the Visigoths the surrounding area. In the
vicinity of Arena de Cabrales are
Leader of a group of Visigothic nobles, Pelayo three caves: Cueva El Bosque,
encouraged the Asturian villages not to pay dues Cueva de los Canes and Cueva
to the Moors and even to resist them by force of arms. de la Covaciella. Though quite
The Moors, in turn, sent troops to the region to quell the difficult to get to, the caves are
rebellion. At the Battle of Covadonga in 722 the well worth visiting on account
scales turned in favour of the Christians, and as of the superb Palaeo lithic cave
the legend of the battle grew, Pelayo became a art to be seen inside.
national hero. It is worth noting, however, that the
Asturians did not – as tradition would have it – fight
at Covadonga in defence of their faith, but rather in P Fuente Dé
Asturias. ∑ cantur.com
defence of their freedom, just as the barbarian tribes
had fought the Romans. It was not until the 11th The cable car in Fuente Dé
century that the war against the Moors took on takes visitors up to an altitude
the character of a crusade. of 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above
sea level. As it ascends 750 m
A statue of Pelayo in Covadonga (2,461 ft) up the steep moun tain,
panoramic views of the
For hotels and restaurants see pp204–5 and pp217–19

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