The restoration of Visigothic Spain: The history of the Kingdom of Asturias through its chronicles

Introduction

The early history of the Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula as a consequence of the disintegration of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo after its defeat in the Battle of Guadalete in 711 is widely known. Following this, and facing the progressive advance of Islamic conquest over the following years, a part of the Visigoths loyal to King Rodrigo fled to more northern and defensive regions (Mitre, 1979: 99-100).

It would be around the Cantabrian mountain range where the noble Don Pelayo managed to lead the Visigoths settled there and local Asturian populations against a superior enemy. And there, as a result of attempts by the Omayyad Caliphate to suppress these groups, in approximately 718-722, came the renowned victory at the Battle of Covadonga (Asturias), which was unexpected.

The outcome for the Muslims was not significant due to a lack of information, but for what are called Asturian chronicles, it marked the official beginning of the so-called Reconquista, as stated in the Chronicle of Alfonso III: «We trust in the mercy of the Lord, from this mountain that you see will come the salvation of Spain and the vigor of the Visigoth people» (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:22-28).

Methodology

To approach this stage of Spanish history, the concept of Reconquista has been revalued as a historical process consequent to the creation of resistance nuclei against Islam and the subsequent awareness of what is called «the loss of Spain», despite the difficulties faced by specialists, a tradition of chronicles that are not extensive or high quality. This is a complex historiographical study widely recognized by medievalists.

Therefore, focusing more on the Kingdom of Asturias, one must primarily refer to these Asturian chronicles (Albeldan Chronicle, Prophetic Chronicle and Chronicle of Alfonso III), as they provide the most information. However, these have been criticized for being strongly influenced by the growing presence of Neogothic ideology of the Astur-Leonese monarchy (Besga Marroquín, 2000:46-70; and Solano Fernández-Sordo, 2009:113-117).

With their own differences, they largely complement the information and its omissions, which leads to them being seen as a result of Alfonso III's intention at the end of the 9th century (Menéndez Pidal, 1956:7-9) to establish an official history of the Kingdom of Asturias continuous with the Visigothic kingdom; thus linking the Astur-Leonese monarchy with the Gothic one and reinforcing its legitimate and providential mission to restore Christian Spain (Besga Marroquín, 2000:562). For this purpose, there is constant royal exaltation or references to supposedly recovered Visigothic elements and geographically charged ideological spaces (Toledo, Spain, Oviedo, Asturias, Homeland or Nation) (Solano Fernández-Sordo, 2009:121-139).

Discussion

What happened in Covadonga was probably more modest (Besga Marroquín, 2000:208), but the reality that followed was that nearby valleys began to organize the Kingdom of Asturias, which gradually acquired a Visigothic character due to the settlement of more Gothic population from the South (García Moreno and Sayas Abengochea, 1983:408), especially during the reign of Alfonso I (739-757), being the first great stage of the Kingdom (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:26-31).

From then on, the process of Reconquista was based on a gradual territorial advance taking advantage of the weakness that Al-Andalus offered during periods of instability (de Lozoya, 1967:223), alternating with others of stagnation or retreat. It must be noted that Asturias was a weaker and marginal kingdom compared to its southern neighbor. However, according to the Chronicle of Alfonso III, there were great confrontations under the heat of revenge for conquests from decades earlier (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:32-33; and Ruiz de la Peña Solar, Alfonso I).

Simultaneously with this, these conquests were reinforced by important repopulation policies, as the Chronicle of Alfonso III attests: «Alfonso I brought them to their homeland», understanding it as the kingdom heir to the Visigoths: Asturias. With this, Alfonso I likely aimed to strengthen the Visigothic character of the region (Ruiz de la Peña Solar, Alfonso I).

After a period of succession instability, during which the elective formula established in the Visigothic monarchy would clearly be recovered (Orlandis, 1988:112-115), Alfonso II (791-842) imposed himself on the throne of Cangas de Onís and settled in the new capital: Oviedo. During this long reign he gave rise to the second great period of the Asturian kingdom and established a government plan based on strengthening royal power. With this monarch there are clear signs of presence and application of Neogothicism, such as the recovery of the royal anointing ceremony sacralized (Fernández Conde, 2009:78-86). On the other hand, the war with Islam was resumed and territorial advances were made throughout the Cantabrian mountain range, now under divine support —as the Asturian chronicles usually defend— of Saint James, recently found in what is now Santiago de Compostela (Galicia) according to tradition (García de Cortázar, 1983:120-122; and Ruiz de la Peña Solar, Alfonso II).

At the death of this king without descendants, he is succeeded by his second cousin, Ramiro I (842-850). He stands out for a brief reign characterized by internal and external problems, but interesting for carrying out a policy of beautifying Oviedo with important constructions that would emulate it as a new Toledo (Solano Fernández-Sordo, 2009:144); and because with him the hereditary character of the Monarchy is reinforced (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:60-63).

His son Ordoño I (850-866) continued the fight against the Muslims during a period of great crisis for Al-Andalus during the First Fitna (852-912), advancing notably over the Duero. With him, and especially during the reign of his son Alfonso III (866-910), the last great stage of the Kingdom of Asturias begins, as the border shifts more rapidly and consolidates with new repopulations (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:63-74).

Alfonso III finally established a solid royal power based on one hand in his prominent foreign policy that led him to establish alliances with the kings of Pamplona and great Muladi families opposed to Córdoba (Mitre, 1979:105). His reinforced position even led him to undertake some expeditions beyond the Duero and into hundreds of kilometers of Emirate territory (del Arco y Garay et al., 1956:82-95). In this sense, the following reference from the Prophetic Chronicle stands out: «in a very short period of time our glorious king Alfonso will reign in all of Spain» (Mitre, 1979:103).

Internally, he stood out for the transfer of the capital to León, an act that from then on his descendants would be titled as kings of León and which is considered the end of the Kingdom of Asturias. Likewise, he stood out for his ideological and propaganda work in Neogothicism, being the king most involved in it. His goal was to justify Astur-Leonese conquests beyond the historical region of the Astures by identifying with the past Visigothic era, highly exalted in chronicles, under the pretext of restoring peninsular unity, imposing royal reinforcement and consolidating hegemony over other emerging states in Spain. In fact, he is the first Christian king on record to declare himself Hispaniae rex after the Visigoths (Ruiz de la Peña Solar, Alfonso III; and Solano Fernández-Sordo, 2009:157).

After his death, the tenth century would present a new challenge for the now Kingdom of León with its division among Alfonso III's sons, which accentuated the progressive territorial differentiation. This led to greater weakness against Muslims and slowed down or even reversed Christian expansion (Menéndez Pidal, 1956:22; Sánchez-Albornoz, 1980:348-349).

Conclusion

Despite the difficulties of these sources, which are extensive and at the same time ideologized, it is possible to extract quality information about this period, although with some reservations. A good example of this is found in the Albeldan Chronicle during Alfonso II's reign: «And all the order of the Goths, as it had been in Toledo, restored them entirely in Oviedo» (Besga Marroquín, 2000:433).

The truth is that this Visigothic restoration almost two centuries later was not real, as Asturias was practically a new kingdom that sought to declare itself heir to Toledo through Neogothic royal policy, which remained more nominal, a declaration of intent, or simply political propaganda based on the application of some Gothic political-structural elements, and the result of nostalgia for a Visigothic aristocracy consolidated in Astur-Cantabrian circles.

Nor was it territorial, as it would take until the end of the 15th century for Christians to regain peninsular Gothic dominion, and by then Neogothic ideology had already faded in the various emerging Christian monarchies during these centuries of expansion.

Therefore, said this, it is necessary to accept the difficulty of studying the period due to the problem with sources and hope that other disciplines shed more light on the matter in the future.

Bibliography

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