Editing Reconquista (section)

====Kingdom of Asturias (718–924)====
{{Main|Kingdom of Asturias}}
{{See also|Kingdom of Galicia|Duchy of Cantabria}}
The Kingdom of Asturias was located in the [[Cantabrian Mountains]], a wet and mountainous region in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It was the first Christian power to emerge. The kingdom was established by a Visigothic nobleman, named Pelagius (''Pelayo''), who had possibly returned after the Battle of Guadalete in 711 and was elected leader of the Asturians,<ref name="Peña p. 27">Ruiz De La Peña. La monarquia asturiana 718–910, p. 27. Cangas de Onís, 2000. {{ISBN|9788460630364}} / Fernández Conde. Estudios Sobre La Monarquía Asturiana, pp. 35–76. Estudios Históricos La Olmeda, 2015. {{ISBN|978-8497048057}}</ref> and the remnants of the ''gens Gothorum'' (the Hispano-Gothic aristocracy and the Hispano-Visigothic population who took refuge in the North). Historian Joseph F. O'Callaghan says an unknown number of them fled and took refuge in Asturias or Septimania. In Asturias they supported Pelagius's uprising, and joining with the indigenous leaders, formed a new [[aristocracy]]. 

The population of the mountain region consisted of native Astures, Galicians, Cantabri, Basques and other groups unassimilated into Hispano-Gothic society,<ref name="O'Callaghan2013176">{{cite book|author=Joseph F. O'Callaghan|title=A History of Medieval Spain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cq2dDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA176|year=2013|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-0-8014-6872-8|page=176}}</ref> laying the foundations for the Kingdom of Asturias and starting the [[Astur-Leonese dynasty]] that spanned from 718 to 1037 and led the initial efforts in the Iberian peninsula to take back the territories then ruled by the Moors.<ref name="Peña p. 27"/> Although the new dynasty first ruled in the mountains of Asturias, with the capital of the kingdom established initially in [[Cangas de Onís]], and was in its dawn mostly concerned with securing the territory and settling the monarchy, the latest kings (particularly [[Alfonso III of Asturias]]) emphasised the nature of the new kingdom as heir of that in [[Visigothic Kingdom|Toledo]] and the restoration of the Visigothic nation in order to vindicate the expansion to the south.<ref>Casariego, J.E.: ''Crónicas de los reinos de Asturias y León''. Biblioteca Universitaria Everest, León 1985, p. 68. {{ASIN|B00I78R3S4}}{{ISBN missing}}</ref> However, such claims have been overall dismissed by modern historiography, emphasizing the distinct, autochthonous nature of the Cantabro-Asturian and Vasconic domains with no continuation to the Gothic Kingdom of Toledo.<ref>García Fitz, Francisco. 2009, pp. 149–150</ref>

Pelagius's kingdom initially was little more than a gathering point for the existing guerrilla forces. During the first decades, the Asturian dominion over the different areas of the kingdom was still lax, and for this reason it had to be continually strengthened through matrimonial alliances with other powerful families from the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, Ermesinda, Pelagius's daughter, was married to [[Alfonso I of Asturias|Alfonso]], [[Duchy of Cantabria|Dux Peter of Cantabria]]'s son. Alfonso's son [[Fruela I of Asturias|Fruela]] married Munia, a Basque from [[Álava]], after crushing a Basque uprising (probably resistance). Their son is reported to be [[Alfonso II of Asturias|Alfonso II]], while Alfonso I's daughter Adosinda married Silo, a local chief from the area of Flavionavia, Pravia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-02 |title=What was the Reconquista? – Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute |url=https://bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com/2021/01/02/what-was-the-reconquista/ |access-date=2023-06-16 |website=bootcampmilitaryfitnessinstitute.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Alfonso's military strategy was typical of Iberian warfare at the time. Lacking the means needed for wholesale conquest of large territories, his tactics consisted of raids in the border regions of [[Vardulia]]. With the plunder he gained further military forces could be paid, enabling him to raid the Muslim cities of [[Lisbon]], [[Zamora (Spain)|Zamora]], and [[Coimbra]]. Alfonso I also expanded his realm westwards conquering [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=O'Callaghan |first=Joseph F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cq2dDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA176 |title=A History of Medieval Spain |year=2013 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-0-8014-6872-8 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Painting of Santiago Matamoros.jpg|thumb|[[James the Great|Saint James the Great]] depicted as [[Saint James Matamoros|Saint James the Moor-slayer]].  Legend of the ''Reconquista''|alt=]]

During the reign of [[Alfonso II of Asturias|King Alfonso II]] (791–842), the kingdom was firmly established, and a series of Muslim raids caused the transfer of the Asturian capital to [[Oviedo]]. The king is believed to have initiated diplomatic contacts with the kings of [[Pamplona]] and the [[Carolingian]]s, thereby gaining official recognition for his kingdom and his crown from the [[Pope]] and [[Charlemagne]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=Alfonso II, Charlemagne and the Jacobean Cult (full text in Spanish) |url=http://oppidum.es/oppidum-17/opp17.12_larranaga_alfonso.ii,.carlomagno.y.el.culto.jacobeo.pdf |access-date=2022-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324174530/http://oppidum.es/oppidum-17/opp17.12_larranaga_alfonso.ii,.carlomagno.y.el.culto.jacobeo.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2022 }}</ref>

The [[relic|bones]] of St. [[James the Great]] were proclaimed to have been found in Iria Flavia (present day [[Padrón]]) in 813 or probably two or three decades later. The cult of the saint was transferred later to [[Santiago de Compostela|Compostela]] (from Latin ''campus stellae'', literally "the star field"), possibly in the early 10th century when the focus of Asturian power moved from the mountains over to Leon, to become the [[Kingdom of León]] or Galicia-Leon. Santiago's were among many saint relics proclaimed to have been found across north-western Hispania. Pilgrims started to flow in from other Iberian Christian realms, sowing the seeds of the later [[Way of Saint James]] (11–12th century) that sparked the enthusiasm and religious zeal of continental [[Christian Europe]] for centuries.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

Despite numerous battles, neither the Umayyads nor the Asturians had sufficient forces to secure control over these northern territories. Under the reign of [[Ramiro I of Asturias|Ramiro]], famed for the highly legendary [[Battle of Clavijo]], the border began to slowly move southward and Asturian holdings in [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]], Galicia, and [[León (province)|Leon]] were fortified, and an intensive program of re-population of the countryside began in those territories. In 924 the Kingdom of Asturias became the [[Kingdom of León]], when Leon became the seat of the royal court (it didn't bear any official name).<ref>{{cite book | author = Collins, Roger| year = 1983 | title = Early Medieval Spain | publisher = St. Martin's Press |location = New York|isbn= 0-312-22464-8|page = 238}}</ref>