Cangas de Onís: The First Capital of Christian Spain
Asturias, Spain
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Puente de Cangas
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250
XP
+100 Spain
= 350 total
1 day
Cangas de Onís: The First Capital of Christian Spain
250 + 100 XP
After the victory at Covadonga in 722 Pelayo made Cangas de Onís his capital, reusing the Roman settlement already there, and it stayed the capital of the kingdom of Asturias until 774 — which makes this small town on the Sella the first seat of the only Christian kingdom left in Iberia. The famous humpbacked bridge over the river is universally called the Roman bridge and is not: it was built in the Middle Ages. Pelayo's tomb is up the valley at Covadonga.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Stand under the so-called Roman bridge and find out that it is medieval, and that everybody calls it Roman anyway
2
of 5
Work out what happened here: the capital of the kingdom of Asturias from 722 until 774, the only Christian state left in Iberia
3
of 5
Find the cross hanging beneath the central arch of the bridge — a copy of the Victory Cross, which began as the oak cross Pelayo carried at Covadonga
4
of 5
Go into the chapel of Santa Cruz, raised over a dolmen of the third millennium BC by King Favila and Queen Froiluba and consecrated on 27 October 737 to hold Pelayo's cross
5
of 5
Drink sidra poured properly — from arm's length, a couple of fingers at a time, drunk immediately
Stand under the so-called Roman bridge and find out that it is medieval, and that everybody calls it Roman anyway
Work out what happened here: the capital of the kingdom of Asturias from 722 until 774, the only Christian state left in Iberia
Find the cross hanging beneath the central arch of the bridge — a copy of the Victory Cross, which began as the oak cross Pelayo carried at Covadonga
Go into the chapel of Santa Cruz, raised over a dolmen of the third millennium BC by King Favila and Queen Froiluba and consecrated on 27 October 737 to hold Pelayo's cross
Drink sidra poured properly — from arm's length, a couple of fingers at a time, drunk immediately
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About Asturias
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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