Episode description

The Kingdom of Asturias was a Christian kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, founded in the early 8th century in the wake of the Muslim conquest of Visigothic Hispania. It played a critical role in the early Reconquista—the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. The kingdom’s kings led numerous military campaigns to expand and consolidate Christian territories in northern Spain. Below is an overview of the key conquests under the kings of Asturias.

• Battle of Covadonga (722): Pelayo is traditionally regarded as the first king of Asturias and the initiator of the Reconquista. He was a Visigothic nobleman who led a small Christian resistance against the Umayyad Muslim forces. His most significant achievement was his victory in the Battle of Covadonga in 722, which is often seen as the symbolic beginning of the Reconquista. This victory secured the survival of the small Christian enclave in the rugged mountains of Asturias.
• Consolidation of Power: Although Pelayo’s military achievements were modest, his victory gave the Christian communities in the north hope and a base of resistance that would grow into the Kingdom of Asturias.