Kingdom of Asturias: Map & History
The Kingdom of Asturias was a medieval monarchy in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the nobleman Pelagius.
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The Kingdom of Asturias was a medieval monarchy in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the nobleman Pelagius. It was the first Christian political entity to be established in the Iberian Peninsula after the Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711–720s. In the summer of 722, Pelagius defeated an Umayyad army at the Battle of Covadonga, in what is retroactively regarded as the beginning of the Christian Reconquista.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Asturias
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Asturias covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Asturias's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Asturias in Depth
Legacy
This kingdom is the birthplace of an influential European medieval architectural style: Asturian pre-Romanesque. This style of architecture was founded during the reign of Ramiro I.
This small kingdom was a milestone in the fight against the adoptionist heresy, with Beatus of Liébana as a major figure. In the time of Alfonso II, the shrine of Santiago de Compostela was founded. The pilgrimage to Santiago, Camiño de Santiago, was a major nexus within Europe, and many pilgrims (and their money) passed through Asturias on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Indigenous background
Classical geographers give conflicting views of the ethnic description of the above-mentioned peoples. Ptolemy says that the Astures extended along the central area of current Asturias, between the Navia and Sella rivers, fixing the latter river as the boundary with the Cantabrian territory. However, other geographers placed the frontier between the Astures and the Cantabri further to the east: Julius Honorius stated in his Cosmographia that the springs of the river Ebro were located in the land of the Astures (sub asturibus).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Asturias (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Asturias: Key Facts
| Capitals | Cangues d'Onís, Samartín del Rei Aurelio, Pravia, Oviedo |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Asturian, Leonese |
| Form of government | elective monarchy, hereditary monarchy |
| Founded | 718 CE |
| Dissolved | 924 CE |
Preceded by
- Kingdom of Toledo
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q231392 (CC0).
Kingdom of Asturias Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Asturias appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Asturias Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 128,718 km² in 894 CE.
Kingdom of Asturias: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Asturias exist?
The Kingdom of Asturias is dated to 724 CE – 925 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias?
The capital of the Kingdom of Asturias was Cangas de Onís, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Pravia, Oviedo.
How large was the Kingdom of Asturias at its peak?
At its peak in 894 AD the Kingdom of Asturias covered about 128,718 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Asturias change over time?
The Kingdom of Asturias appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 750 CE to 900 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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