The Kingdom of Asturias

(Today part of: northern Portugal, northern and northeastern Spain)

Based in Oviedo, it only became fully established at the beginning of the 9^th century, after conquering the neighboring Galicia to the west, and the Basque territories to the east. At the same time, it had established ties with the mighty Frankish state, and the king of Asturias had called himself “king Charles’ man” as well. In the Christian world, Asturias had been famed for the Galician city of Compostela, which will, at the beginning of the 9^th century, become one of the most important European pilgrimage sites. Their bishops claimed that they had found the grave of the apostle St. James there. Seen as how Galicia is positioned in the quite literal “corner of Europe,” it had inspired the legend of how St. James, during his travels, arrived there on a mission Christ had entrusted to his apostles – to preach “in all four corners of the earth. ”As was the case elsewhere in Europe, Christianity had spread slowly among the people of Asturias and, seen as how pagan gods and beliefs were not pushed out, they began to coexist in syncretism with Christian beliefs.

 After they had forced their father Alphonse III. (r. 866-910) to abdicate, his three sons came to rule three separate areas of Leon, Galicia, and Asturias.  However, they will soon reunite again under a single ruler (924 AD), except for Leon, which will henceforth be known as the Kingdom of Leon. Castile rose on its western border, and many privileges, as well as military power and their own language, values, and customs, formed during the challenging life on the border, enabled their nobility to proclaim their territory independent at the end of the 10^th century. The unified kingdoms of Leon and Castile will become the leading Christian state on the peninsula in the High Middle Ages and, as such, lead the Reconquista against the Moors, lasting until the end of the 15^th century.