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165-562: Asturias ( / æ ˈ s t ʊər i ə s , ə -/ ; Spanish: [asˈtuɾjas] ; Asturian : Asturies [asˈtuɾjes; -ɾjɪs] ) officially the Principality of Asturias , is an autonomous community in northwest Spain . It is coextensive with the province of Asturias and contains some of the territory that was part of the larger Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages . Divided into eight comarcas (counties),

330-589: A vates called Asterio. The word vates is uncommon in Catholic documents and epitaphs, where the word presbyterus (for Christian priests) is preferred. However, vates was used in Latin to denote a poet who was clairvoyant, and according to the Ancient Greek writers Strabo , Diodorus Siculus , and Posidonius , the vates (ουατεις) were also one of three classes of Celtic priesthood, the other two being

495-462: A dialect continuum with Cantabrian in the east and Eonavian in the west. While this dialect continuum is for the most part smooth, a number of isoglosses cluster together parallel to the River Purón, linking the dialects of eastern Llanes , Ribadedeva , Peñamellera Alta , and Peñamellera Baja with those of Cantabria and separating them from the rest of Asturias. Cantabrian was listed in

660-482: A pre-Romanesque church and a palace respectively, which were built by the first Asturian kings on Mount Naranco, to the north of the city ( World Heritage Site ). In modern architecture, the Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo (or Modoo ) was designed by Santiago Calatrava . Gijón , the biggest city of Asturias, is a coastal city known for cultural and sports events, and a beach tourism centre in northern Spain. It also

825-419: A Basque princess from Alava, while his daughter Adosinda married Silo, a local chief from the area of Flavionavia, Pravia. After Pelayo's death in 737, his son Favila (or "Fafila") was elected king. Fafila, according to the chronicles, was unexpectedly killed by a bear while hunting in one of the trials of courage normally required of the nobility of that era. However, there is no other such incident known from

990-710: A Gothic influence to the Asturian kingdom. However, at the beginning of the 9th century, Alfonso II's will cursed the Visigoths, blaming them for the loss of Hispania. The later chronicles on which knowledge of the period is based, all written during the reign of Alfonso III, when there was great Gothic ideological influence, are the Sebastianensian Chronicle ( Crónica Sebastianense ), the Albeldensian Chronicle ( Crónica Albeldense ) and

1155-520: A high degree of organization and firm leadership, probably by Pelayo himself. Therefore, experts consider it probable that the construction of the defensive line was intended to prevent the reentry of Moors into Asturias through the mountain passes of Mesa and Pajares. After Pelayo's victory over the Moorish detachment at the Battle of Covadonga , a small territorial independent entity was established in

1320-512: A large copy of rare languages, as Portuguese, Galician, Asturian, Catalan, Valencian, French, Tuscan..." Modern Asturian literature began in 1605 with the clergyman Antón González Reguera and continued until the 18th century (when it produced, according to Ruiz de la Peña in 1981, a literature comparable to that in Asturias in Castilian). In 1744, Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos wrote about

1485-563: A malo. Amen Although Spanish is the official language of all schools in Asturias, in many schools children are allowed to take Asturian-language classes from age 6 to 16. Elective classes are also offered from 16 to 19. Central Asturias ( Nalón and Caudal comarcas ) has the largest percentage of Asturian-language students, with almost 80 percent of primary-school students and 30 percent of secondary-school students in Asturian classes. Xixón , Uviéu , Eo-Navia and Oriente also have an increased number of students. According to article six of

1650-695: A mere skirmish in Muslim texts) is that the Moorish column was attacked from the cliffs and then fell back through the valleys towards present day Gijón, but it was attacked in retreat by the retinue and nearly destroyed. However, the only near-contemporary account of the events of the time, the Christian Chronicle of 754 , makes no mention of the incident. However, as is told in the Rotensian Chronicle as well as in that of Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari , Pelayo escaped from Cordoba during

1815-892: A movement for the language's acceptance and use began in Asturias. Based on ideas of the Asturian association Conceyu Bable about Asturian language and culture, a plan was developed for the acceptance and modernization of the language that led to the 1980 creation of the Academy of the Asturian Language with the approval of the Asturias regional council. El Surdimientu (the Awakening) authors such as Manuel Asur (Cancios y poemes pa un riscar) , Xuan Bello (El llibru vieyu) , Adolfo Camilo Díaz (Añada pa un güeyu muertu) , Pablo Antón Marín Estrada (Les hores) , Xandru Fernández (Les ruines) , Lourdes Álvarez , Martín López-Vega , Miguel Rojo and Lluis Antón González broke from

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1980-538: A nós o teu reino e fágase a túa vontade aquí na terra coma no ceo. O noso pan cotián dánolo hoxe; e perdóanos as nosas ofensas como tamén perdoamos nós a quen nos ten ofendido; e non nos deixes caer na tentación, mais líbranos do mal. Amén. Pater noster, qui es in caelis, Sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, Sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie. Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem: Sed libera nos

2145-595: A system of metaphony . The phenomenon of -u metaphony is uncommon, as are the falling diphthongs /ei, ou/ , usually in the west. Asturian has always been written in the Latin alphabet. Although the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana published orthographic rules in 1981, different spelling rules are used in Terra de Miranda ( Portugal ). Although they can be written, ḷḷ ( che vaqueira , formerly written " ts ") and

2310-436: A third, neuter gender, a phenomenon known as matter-neutrality. Verbs agree with their subjects in person (first, second, or third) and number, and are conjugated to indicate mood (indicative, subjunctive, conditional or imperative; some others include "potential" in place of future and conditional), tense (often present or past; different moods allow different tenses), and aspect (perfective or imperfective). Asturian

2475-698: A warrior he managed to defeat a Viking invasion after the Vikings had landed at Corunna, and also fought several battles against the Moors. When he succeeded his father Ramiro, Ordoño I (850–66) repressed a major revolt amongst the Basques in the east of the kingdom. In 859, Ordoño besieged the fortress of Albelda, built by Musa ibn Musa of the Banu Qasi , who had rebelled against Cordoba and became master of Zaragoza, Tudela, Huesca and Toledo. Musa attempted to lift

2640-631: Is a comprehensive manual that can be used in schools to facilitate learning. Additionally, a translator that can translate English, French, Portuguese and Italian, among a few other languages, into Asturian and vice versa is offered online. This software is funded and maintained by members of the University of Oviedo. As with other Romance languages, most Asturian words come from Latin : ablana, agua, falar, güeyu, home, llibru, muyer, pesllar, pexe, prau, suañar . In addition to this Latin basis are words which entered Asturian from languages spoken before

2805-568: Is a molar-shaped peak which, reputedly, glows orange in the evening sun, hence its name. Weather permitting, it can be viewed from Camarmeña village, near Poncebos, south of Arenas de Cabrales. The shrine to the Virgin of Covadonga and the mountain lakes ( Los Lagos ), near Cangas de Onís : Legend has it that in the 8th century, the Virgin blessed Asturian Christian forces with a well-timed signal to attack Spain's Moorish conquerors, thereby taking

2970-491: Is also spoken, and its promotion also falls under the responsibility of Law 1/1998. Eonavian is intermediate between Asturian and Galician , though it is often regarded as just a variety of Galician; its use in the Asturian Administration is minor compared to the use of the Asturian language. Within Asturias, there is an ongoing process to establish place names in Asturian and Eonavian dialects. In 2019,

3135-488: Is an inflecting , fusional , head-initial and dependent-marking language . Its word order is subject–verb–object (in declarative sentences without topicalization ). Asturian distinguishes five vowel phonemes (these same ones are found in Spanish , Aragonese , Sardinian and Basque ), according to three degrees of vowel openness (close, mid and open) and backness (front, central and back). Many Asturian dialects have

3300-544: Is basically the same as the Asturian spoken in Asturias. The Asturian-Leonese linguistic domain covers most of the principality of Asturias, the northern and western province of León , the northeastern province of Zamora (both in Castile and León), western Cantabria and the Miranda do Douro region in the eastern Bragança District of Portugal. Traditional, popular place names of the principality's towns are supported by

3465-587: Is endangered: there has been a steep decline in the number of speakers over the last century. Law 1/93 of 23 March 1993 on the Use and Promotion of the Asturian Language addressed the issue, and according to article four of the Asturias Statute of Autonomy: "The Asturian language will enjoy protection. Its use, teaching and diffusion in the media will be furthered, whilst its local dialects and voluntary apprenticeship will always be respected." However, Asturian

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3630-642: Is evidenced by the Celtic tonsure , which the Visigothic bishops who participated in the Fourth Council of Toledo condemned. Still extant Galician legends relate to monks who travelled by sea to the Paradise Islands, like those of Saint Amaro , Trezenzonio or The Legend of Ero of Armenteira . These stories have many parallels with those of Brendan the navigator, Malo of Wales, and

3795-686: Is in a legally hazy position. The Spanish Constitution has not been fully applied regarding the official recognition of languages in the autonomous communities. The ambiguity of the Statute of Autonomy, which recognises the existence of Asturian but does not give it the same status as Spanish, leaves the door open to benign neglect. However, since 1 August 2001 Asturian has been covered under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ' "safeguard and promote" clause. A 1983 survey indicated 100,000 native Asturian speakers (12 percent of

3960-751: Is known for the traditional Asturian gastronomy and for being an Asturian cider production spot. Museums in the city include the Universidad Laboral de Gijón , including a modern art museum and theatre. Avilés is the third largest city in Asturias, where "La villa del adelantado" (as locals call it, in reference of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés ) is a meeting point. "Saint Nicholas of Bari" or "Capilla de los Alas" in Romanesque and Romanesque-Gothic style, respectively; Palacio de Balsera, in Modernist style or St. Thomas of Canterbury church (dating from

4125-417: Is neuter, but Tien un pel u rox u (He has a red hair) is masculine; note the noun's change in ending. Plural formation is complex: Their forms are: Only before words beginning with a- : l’aigla (the eagle), l’alma (the soul). Compare la entrada (the entry) and la islla (the island). The Academy of the Asturian Language has published a grammar describing the Asturian language. It

4290-689: Is one of the best conserved in the entire country, and full of vegetation and wild spaces. It holds two of the most important natural parks in Spain, and is very renowned for the Picos de Europa and Somiedo areas. The Gijón area was marked and singled out as one of the pollution hotspots in Western Europe in a 2015 report from the International Institute for Applied Science Systems, where predictions for 2030 conditions were made. Gijón

4455-431: Is only just below Western European standards, and exaggerated by the high Spanish life expectancy. Considering that many Asturians live in relatively close proximity to Gijón's heavily industrial areas, these figures (especially for female relative health) still contribute to a position that Gijón is a safe location to live. The numbers for "disability-free" life expectancy has risen significantly both for males and females in

4620-399: Is the mining. The reasons for the latter are mainly the high costs of production to extract the coal compared to other regions. Regional economic growth is below the broader Spanish rate, though in recent years growth in service industries has helped reduce Asturias's high rate of unemployment. Large out-of-town retail parks have opened near the region's largest cities (Gijón and Oviedo), whilst

4785-597: Is the only western Romance language with three genders: masculine , feminine and neuter . Adjectives are modified by gender. Most adjectives have three endings: -u (masculine), -a (feminine) and -o (neuter): El vasu ta frí u (the glass is cold), tengo la mano frí a (my hand is cold), l’agua ta frí o (the water is cold) Neuter nouns are abstract, collective and uncountable nouns. They have no plural, except when they are used metaphorically or concretised and lose this gender: l es agü es tán frí es (Waters are cold). Tien el pel o rox o (He has red hair)

4950-533: Is the subdivision of the Asturian municipalities. Currently, there are 857 parishes integrating the 78 municipalities in the region, and they usually coincide with the ecclesiastic divisions. The Cantabrian Mountains ( Cordillera Cantábrica ) form Asturias's natural border with the province of León to the south. In the eastern range, the Picos de Europa National Park contains the highest and arguably most spectacular mountains, rising to 2,648 metres (8,688 ft) at

5115-604: The Llibru d'Alexandre and the 1155 Fueru d'Avilés ) had Asturian sources. Castilian Spanish arrived in the area during the 14th century, when the central administration sent emissaries and functionaries to political and ecclesiastical offices. Asturian codification of the Astur-Leonese spoken in the Asturian Autonomous Community became a modern language with the founding of the Academy of

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5280-462: The ALSA company. It links Avilés , Gijón , Oviedo and Mieres with Madrid and other major towns, several times a day. These include services to Barcelona , Salamanca , León , Valladolid , A Coruña , Bilbao , Seville , San Sebastián , Paris , Brussels and Nice , to name just a few. Oviedo is the capital city of Asturias and contains Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo ,

5445-604: The Cantabrian Mountains , particularly the Picos de Europa and the central area of Asturias. The main political and military events during the first decades of the kingdom's existence took place in the region. According to the descriptions of Strabo , Cassius Dio and other Graeco-Roman geographers, several peoples of Celtic origin inhabited the lands of Asturias at the beginning of the Christian era, most notably: Classical geographers give conflicting views of

5610-483: The Cantabrian Mountains . Fruela I, Alfonso I's son, consolidated and expanded his father's domains. He was assassinated by members of the nobility associated with the House of Cantabria. Written sources are concise concerning the reigns of Aurelio , Silo , Mauregatus and Bermudo I . Generally this period, with a duration of twenty-three years (768–791), has been considered as a long stage of obscurity and retreat of

5775-591: The Centre for Sociological Research carried a study showing the population of Asturias was 65.2% Catholic (25.1% practicing), 13.5% agnostic , and 12.8% atheist . The organisation and political structure of Asturias is governed by the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias , in force since 30 January 1982. According to the Statute, the institutional bodies of the Principality of Asturias are three:

5940-471: The Chronicles ) occurred during the reign of Aurelio I. The property relationship between master and slave broke down progressively. This fact, together with the growing role of the individual and the restricted family, to the detriment of the extended family, is another indication that a new society was emerging in Asturias at the end of the eighth and beginning of the ninth centuries. Fruela I (757–68)

6105-631: The Council of Government , the General Junta and President . The form of government of the Principality is Parliament : The General Junta is the legislature to choose, on behalf of the Asturian people, the President of the Principality of Asturias. The president of the Principality is also the president of the Council of Government, the head of executive power , and politically answerable to

6270-567: The Douro valley, taking cities and towns and moving their inhabitants to the safer northern zones. It eventually led to the strategic depopulation of the plateau, creating the Desert of the Duero as a protection against future Moorish attacks. The depopulation, defended by Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz , is doubted today, at least concerning its magnitude. Two main arguments are used to refute it: first,

6435-749: The High Middle Ages were laid during the reigns of Silo and Mauregatus, when the Asturian kings submitted to the authority of the Umayyad emirs of the Caliphate of Córdoba . The most prominent Christian scholar in the Kingdom of Asturias of this period was Beatus of Liébana, whose works left an indelible mark on the Christian culture of the Reconquista. Beatus was directly involved in the debate surrounding adoptionism, which argued that Jesus

6600-796: The Holy See , and the Carolingian Empire , and was supported in his theological struggle by the Pope and by his friend Alcuin of York, an Anglo-Saxon scholar who had settled among the Carolingian court in Aachen . The most transcendental works of Beatus were his Commentaries to Apocalypse , which were copied in later centuries in manuscripts called beati , about which the Italian writer Umberto Eco said: "Their splendid images gave birth to

6765-597: The Kingdom of Spain , Asturias provided the Spanish court with high-ranking aristocrats and played an important role in the colonisation of America. Since 1388, the heir to the Castilian (later Spanish) throne has been styled Prince (or Princess) of Asturias . In the 16th century, the population reached 100,000 for the first time, and within another century that number would double due to the arrival of American corn . In

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6930-700: The Muslims , particularly at times when they needed to pursue their other enemies, the Basques and rebels in Galicia. Thus Fruela I (757–768) fought Muslims but also defeated the Basques and Galicians , and Silo (774–783) made peace with the Muslims but not with the Galicians. Under King Alfonso II (791–842), the kingdom was firmly established with Alfonso's recognition as king of Asturias by Charlemagne and

7095-569: The Pope . He conquered Galicia and the Basques. During his reign, the holy bones of St James the Great were declared to be found in Galicia, in Compostela (from Latin campus stellae , literally "the field of the star"). Pilgrims from all over Europe opened a way of communication between the isolated Asturias and the Carolingian lands and beyond. Alfonso's policy consisted in depopulating

7260-534: The Spanish Crown — was known merely as the "Province of Oviedo" from 1939 until Franco's death in 1975. The province's name was restored fully after the return of democracy to Spain, in 1977. In the 50s and 60s the industrial progress of Asturias continued with the constitution of national enterprises like Ensidesa and Hunosa, but the 80s was the decade of a dramatic industrial restructuring . On 30 December 1981, Asturias became an autonomous community within

7425-570: The University of Oviedo charter, "The Asturian language will be the object of study, teaching and research in the corresponding fields. Likewise, its use will have the treatment established by the Statute of Autonomy and complementary legislation, guaranteeing non-discrimination of those who use it." Asturian can be used at the university in accordance with the Use of Asturian Act. University records indicate an increased number of courses and amount of scientific work using Asturian, with courses in

7590-490: The Visigothic Code was the referential code, at least since the arrival of new influences including exiles, prisoners from the central area of al-Andalus in the 770s along with their mixed Berber-Arabic and Gothic legacy. This combined with governmental and religious ideas imported from Charlemagne 's Frankish Kingdom ( Alcuin - Beatus of Liébana ). The foundations of Asturian culture and that of Christian Spain in

7755-594: The apotheosis . Likewise, as Elipandus's bishopric of Toledo was at the time within the Muslim Caliphate of Cordoba, Islamic beliefs which acknowledged Jesus as a Prophet, but not as the Son of God, influenced the formation of adoptionism. However, the adoptionist theology was opposed strongly by Beatus from his abbey in Santo Toribio de Liébana . At the same time, Beatus strengthened the links among Asturias,

7920-411: The debuccalization of word-initial /f/ to [ h ] , written ⟨ ḥ ⟩ ( ḥoguera , ḥacer , ḥigos and ḥornu instead of foguera , facer , figos and fornu ; feminine plurals ending in -as ( ḥab a s , ḥormig a s , ḥiy a s , except in eastern towns, where -es is kept: ḥabes , ḥormigues , ḥiyes ); the shifting of word-final -e to -i ( xenti , tardi , ḥuenti ); retention of

8085-523: The 10th century, the Kingdom of Asturias gave way to the Kingdom of León , and during the Middle Ages the geographic isolation of the territory made historical references scarce. Through the rebellion of Prince Henry (the later Henry II of Castile ) in the 14th century, the Principality of Asturias was established. The most famous proponents of independence were Gonzalo Peláez and Queen Urraca , who, while achieving significant victories, were ultimately defeated by Castilian troops. After its integration into

8250-459: The 13th century) are examples which show the historical patrimony to be found in the city. The Centro Niemeyer , designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer , is an example of contemporary architecture in Asturias. The Picos de Europa National Park, and other parts of the Asturian mountain range: The Picu Urriellu mountain (2519 m or 8262 ft), also known as El Naranjo de Bulnes ,

8415-650: The 18th century, Asturias was one of the centres of the Spanish Enlightenment . The renowned Galician thinker Benito de Feijóo settled in the Benedictine Monastery of San Vicente de Oviedo . Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos , a polymath and prominent reformer and politician of the late 18th century, was born in the seaside town of Gijón . During the Napoleonic Wars , Asturias was the first Spanish province to rise up against

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8580-405: The 19th and 20th centuries. It had metallurgical and chemical factories, mines, bridges and railways, including in the towns of Langreo , Mieres and Avilés . Asturian language Asturian is the historical language of Asturias, portions of the Spanish provinces of León and Zamora and the area surrounding Miranda do Douro in northeastern Portugal. Like the other Romance languages of

8745-431: The 2009 UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger . The inclusion of Eonavian (spoken in western Asturias, bordering Galicia) in the Galician language is controversial, since it has traits in common with western Asturian. Asturian is one of the Astur-Leonese languages which form part of the Iberian Romance languages , close to Galician-Portuguese and Castilian and further removed from Navarro-Aragonese . It

8910-415: The 2017 census, 3.65% of population. The only official language in Asturias is Spanish . The Asturian language , also known as Bable, is also spoken, and is protected by law ( Ley 1/1998, de 23 de marzo, de uso y promoción del bable/asturiano — "Law 1/1998, of 23 March, of Use and Promotion of Bable/Asturian"). It is sometimes used by the Asturian civil service . In the western part of Asturias, Eonavian

9075-420: The 2020 census, the region has a population of 1,018,784 which constitutes 2.1% of the population of Spain, with the population density numbering 96 people per square kilometre. Asturian population has the highest mortality rate in Spain and the lowest total fertility rate (1.03), the lowest in the European Union. Immigration is not as high as in other Spanish regions as immigrants only represent, according to

9240-520: The Asturian Court the order and ceremonies of the former Visigoth Kingdom. Around this time, the holy bones of James, son of Zebedee were declared to have been found in Galicia at Iria Flavia . They were considered authentic by a contemporary pope of Rome. However, during the Asturian period, the final resting place of Eulalia of Mérida , located in Oviedo, became the primary religious site and focus of devotion. Alfonso II also repopulated parts of Galicia , León and Castile and incorporated them into

9405-399: The Asturian Language ( Academia Asturiana de la Llingua ) in 1980. The Leonese dialects and Mirandese are linguistically close to Asturian. Efforts have been made since the end of the Francoist period in 1975 to protect and promote Asturian. In 1994 there were 100,000 native speakers and 450,000 second-language speakers able to speak (or understand) Asturian. However, the language

9570-406: The Asturian monarchy fostered the Christianisation of this site, by constructing a church, to this day there are still pagan traditions linked with the Santa Cruz dolmen. It is said that xanas (Asturian fairies) appear to visitors, and magical properties are ascribed to the soil of the place. According to an inscription found in the Santa Cruz church, it was consecrated in 738 and was presided by

9735-401: The Asturian mountains after the Battle of Guadalete , where in the Gothic tradition of Theias he was elected by the other nobles as leader of the Astures . Pelayo's kingdom was initially a rallying banner for existing guerilla forces. In the progress of the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the main cities and administrative centers fell into the hands of Muslim troops. Control of

9900-558: The Asturian mountains that was the origin of the kingdom of Asturias. Pelayo's leadership was not comparable to that of the Visigothic kings. The first kings of Asturias referred to themselves as "princeps" (prince) and later as "rex" (king), but the later title was not firmly established until the period of Alfonso II. The title of " princeps " had been used by the indigenous peoples of Northern Spain and its use appears in Galician and Cantabrian inscriptions, in which expressions like "Nícer, Príncipe de los Albiones" (on an inscription found in

10065-422: The Asturian population) and 250,000 who could speak or understand Asturian as a second language. A similar survey in 1991 found that 44 percent of the population (about 450,000 people) could speak Asturian, with from 60,000 to 80,000 able to read and write it. An additional 24 percent of the Asturian population said that they understood the language, making a total of about 68 percent of the Asturian population. At

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10230-426: The Asturian-Leonese tradition of rural themes, moral messages and dialogue-style writing. Currently, the Asturian language has about 150 annual publications. The Bible into the Asturian language was completed in 2021 after over 30 years of translation work, beginning in September 1988. Astur-Leonese's geographic area exceeds Asturias, and the language known as Leonese in the autonomous community of Castile and León

10395-450: The Asturians took place: one of them headed by Visigothic king Wamba (reigned 672–680); the other by Muslim governor Musa bin Nusayr during the Umayyad conquest, who settled garrisons over its territory. The gradual formation of Asturian identity led to the creation of the Kingdom of Asturias after Pelagius' coronation and the victory over the Muslim garrisons in Covadonga in the early 8th century. The Chronica Albeldense , in narrating

10560-590: The Cantabrian belt known as Green Spain it has high precipitations all year round. Summers are mild and, on the coast, winters also have relatively benign temperatures, rarely including frost. The cold is especially felt in the mountains, where snow is present from October till May. Both rain and snow are regular weather features of Asturian winters. In coastal or near-coastal areas, daytime high temperatures generally average around 12 °C (54 °F) – 13 °C (55 °F) during winter and 22 °C (72 °F) – 23 °C (73 °F) in summer. This part of Spain

10725-413: The Carolingian Franks also got closer and more frequent, with Alfonso II's envoys presenting Charlemagne with spoils of war (campaign of Lisbon, 797). Alfonso II introduced himself as "an Emperor Charlemagne's man", suggesting some kind of suzerainty. During Alfonso II's reign, a probable reaction against indigenous traditions took place in order to strengthen his state and grip on power, by establishing in

10890-453: The Department of Philology and Educational Sciences. In accordance with the Bologna Process , Asturian philology will be available for study and teachers will be able to specialise in the Asturian language at the University of Oviedo. Asturian government websites, council webpages, blogs, and entertainment webpages exist. Free software is offered in Asturian, and Ubuntu offers Asturian as an operating-system language. Free software in

11055-436: The Duchy of Cantabria (e.g., Amaya, Tricio and the City of Cantabria) were located, the descendants of Duke Peter withdrew from Rioja towards the Cantabrian area and in time controlled the destiny of the Kingdom of Asturias. Alfonso began the territorial expansion of the small Christian kingdom from its first seat in the Picos de Europa , advancing toward the west to Galicia and toward the south with continuous incursions in

11220-399: The Duero valley were probably not very different from the raids that the Astures made in the same area in the pre-Roman era. The initial Asturian expansion was carried out mainly through Cantabrian territory (from Galicia to Vizcaya ) and it was not until the reigns of Ordoño I and Alfonso III that the Kingdom of Asturias could take effective possession of the territories located south of

11385-408: The French following the abdication of King Ferdinand VII on 10 May 1808. Riots began in Oviedo and on 25 May the local government formally declared war on Napoleon with 18,000 men called to arms to resist invasion. The Industrial Revolution came to Asturias after 1830 with the discovery and systematic exploitation of coal mines and iron factories at the mining basins of Nalón and Caudal . At

11550-399: The Galician peasants being attached to the pre-Christian cults: "Many demons, who were expelled from the heavens, settled in the sea, in the rivers, fountains and forests, and have come to be worshipped as gods by ignorant people. To them they do their sacrifices: in the sea they invoke Neptune, in the rivers the Lamias; in the fountains the Nymphs, and in the forests Diana." In the middle of

11715-401: The General Junta. The functions of the General Junta are the approval of budgets, and the direction and control of the action of the Council of Government. It is composed of 45 deputies, elected for four years through the universal suffrage within a system proportional representation that the allocation of deputies is based on D'Hondt method. For centuries, the backbone of the Asturian economy

11880-544: The Iberian Peninsula, and secured the mountain passes, insulating the region from Moorish attack. Pelayo continued attacking those Berbers who remained north of the Asturian Mountains until they withdrew, but the latter mostly deserted their garrisons in response to the wider rebellion against Arab control from Cordoba. He then married his daughter, Ermesinda, to Alfonso, the son of Peter of Cantabria,

12045-664: The Iberian Peninsula, especially the Visigoths and the Suevi , added words such as blancu, esquila, estaca, mofu, serón, espetar, gadañu and tosquilar . Arabisms could reach Asturian directly, through contacts with Arabs or al-Andalus , or through the Castilian language. Examples include acebache, alfaya, altafarra, bañal, ferre, galbana, mandil, safase, xabalín, zuna and zucre . Asturian has also received much of its lexicon from other languages, such as Spanish , French , Occitan and Galician . In number of loanwords, Spanish leads

12210-516: The Iberian peninsula, it evolved from Vulgar Latin during the early Middle Ages . Asturian was closely linked with the Kingdom of Asturias (718–910) and the ensuing Leonese kingdom. The language had contributions from pre-Roman languages spoken by the Astures , an Iberian Celtic tribe, and the post-Roman Germanic languages of the Visigoths and Suevi . The transition from Latin to Asturian

12375-491: The Kingdom of Asturias while establishing influence over parts of the Basques . The first capital city was Cangas de Onís , near the site of the battle of Cavadonga. Then in Silo's time, it was moved to Pravia . Alfonso II chose his birthplace of Oviedo as the capital of the kingdom (circa 789). Ramiro I began his reign by capturing several other claimants to the throne, blinding them, and then confining them to monasteries. As

12540-534: The Late Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages , when an Asturian identity gradually started to develop: the centuries-old fight between Visigothic and Suebian nobles may have helped to forge a distinct identity among the peoples of the Cantabrian districts. Several archaeological digs in the castro of La Carisa (municipality of Lena) have found remnants of a defensive line whose main purpose

12705-491: The Moors did not find mountainous territory easy to conquer, and the lands along Spain's northern coast never became part of Islamic Spain . With the beginning of the Moorish conquest in the 8th century, this region became a refuge for Christian nobles, and in 722, a de facto independent kingdom was established, the Regnum Asturorum , which was to become the cradle of the incipient Reconquista (Reconquest). In

12870-596: The Port of Gijón every year for their calls in the Atlantic European Coast. The following areas are available for cruise vessels: These locations allow a high degree of access control, with security guaranteed for both vessels and passengers alike. The city centre is only 4 km (2.5 mi) away and the Port Authority provides dedicated coach connection allowing passengers to take advantage of

13035-536: The River Nalón in Asturias and north of León. The model for the written language, it is characterized by feminine plurals ending in -es , the monophthongization of /ou/ and /ei/ into /o/ and /e/ and the neuter gender in adjectives modifying uncountable nouns ( lleche frío , carne tienro ). East Asturian is spoken between the River Sella, Llanes and Cabrales . The dialect is characterized by

13200-496: The Rotensian Chronicle ( Crónica Rotense ). During the first decades, the Asturian dominion over the different areas of the kingdom was still lax and so it had to be continually strengthened through matrimonial alliances with other powerful families from the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, Ermesinda, Pelayo's daughter, was married to Alfonso , Dux Peter of Cantabria 's son. Alfonso's son Fruela married Munia,

13365-556: The Saint Fructuoso order gradually settled in the Cantabrian mountains and began preaching the Christian doctrine. Christianisation progressed slowly in Asturias and did not necessarily supplant the ancient pagan divinities. As elsewhere in Europe, the new religion coexisted syncretically with features of the ancient beliefs. In the sixth century, bishop San Martín de Braga complained in his work De correctione rusticorum about

13530-597: The Sella valley, where Cangas de Onís is located, there was a dolmen area dating back to the megalithic era , and was likely built between 4000 and 2000 BC. Chieftains from the surrounding regions were ritually buried here, particularly in the Santa Cruz dolmen. Such practices survived the Roman and Visigothic conquests. Even in the eighth century, King Favila was buried there, along with the bodies of tribal leaders. Although

13695-543: The Spanish interior. Major stops are the regional capital, Oviedo , and the main coastal city, Gijón . Meanwhile, the Renfe Feve rail company links the centre of the region with Eastern and Western Asturias. Under the Cantabrian Mountains , the Pajares Base Tunnel opened for commercial services end of November 2023, introducing AVE high speed trains . There is also a comprehensive bus service run by

13860-542: The Torrecerredo peak. Other notable features of this predominantly limestone range are the Parque Natural de Redes in the central east, the central Ubiñas south of Oviedo , and the Parque Natural de Somiedo in the west. The Cantabrian mountains offer opportunities for activities such as climbing, walking, skiing and caving, and extend some 200 kilometres (120 mi) in total, as far as Galicia province to

14025-530: The Umayyad army on "Monte Oxifer", allegedly leaving 15,000 Muslim soldiers killed. Returning home, Alfonso devoted himself to building the churches of Oviedo and constructing one or two more palaces for himself. The Kingdom of Asturias transitioned into the Kingdom of León in 924, when Fruela II of Asturias became king with his royal court in León. The kingdom originated in the western and central territory of

14190-493: The Viking adventure in 971, when he launched an attack with a powerful army that defeated the Vikings in a bloody battle, and captured Gunrod, who was subsequently executed along with his followers. Although the earliest evidence of Christian worship in Asturias dates from the 5th century, evangelisation did not make any substantial progress until the middle of the sixth century, when hermits like Turibius of Liébana and monks of

14355-577: The Vikings' longships were captured on the beach and burned. A few months later, another fleet took Seville . The Vikings found in Seville a population which was still largely Gothic and Romano-Spanish. The Gothic elements were important in the Andalusian emirate. Musa ibn Musa , who took a leading part in the defeat of the Vikings at Tablada , belonged to a powerful Muwallad family of Gothic descent. Vikings returned to Galicia in 859, during

14520-403: The alphabet. Asturian has several digraphs , some of which have their own names. The letter h and the digraph ll can take an under-dot to indicate additional sounds, for ḥ and digraph ḷḷ Asturian grammar is similar to that of other Romance languages. Nouns have three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter), two numbers (singular and plural) and no cases . Adjectives may have

14685-428: The area since 1986, according to the report. The coal fired electric generating plant, Aboño, completed a Spanish government/EU demand to install equipment to drastically reduce its emissions. Also, the other two major polluters - Arcelor Gijón and Arcelor Avilés - have announced an investment of 100 million euros to do the same. These factories have been a major cause of the area's high airborne pollution. According to

14850-782: The arrival of Latin (its substratum ), afterwards (its superstratum) and loanwords from other languages. Although little is known about the language of the ancient Astures , it may have been related to two Indo-European languages : Celtic and Lusitanian . Words from this language and the pre–Indo-European languages spoken in the region are known as the prelatinian substratum; examples include bedul, boroña, brincar, bruxa, cándanu, cantu, carrascu, comba, cuetu, güelga, llamuerga, llastra, llócara, matu, peñera, riega, tapín and zucar . Many Celtic words (such as bragues, camisa, carru, cerveza and sayu ) were integrated into Latin and, later, into Asturian. Asturian's superstratum consists primarily of Germanisms and Arabisms. The Germanic peoples in

15015-516: The arrival of the Muslims, Pelayo and his companions hurriedly crossed the Piloña and headed toward the narrow, easily defended valley of Mt. Auseva, taking refuge in one of its caves, Covadonga . After an attempted siege was abandoned due to the weather and the exposed position of the deep valley gorge, the troops are said to have exited through the high ports to the south, in order to continue their search-and-destroy mission against other rebels. There,

15180-580: The attacks on the Berbers increased. Munuza, feeling isolated in a region increasingly hostile, decided to abandon Gijón and headed for the Plateau ( Meseta ) through the Mesa Trail. However, he was intercepted and killed by Astures at Olalíes (in the current district of Grado ). Once he had expelled the Moors from the eastern valleys of Asturias, Pelayo attacked León , the main city in the northwest of

15345-548: The autonomous community of Asturias is bordered by Cantabria to the east, by León ( Castile and León ) to the south, by Lugo ( Galicia ) to the west, and by the Cantabrian sea to the north. Asturias is situated in a mountainous setting with vast greenery and lush vegetation, making it part of Green Spain . The region has a maritime climate . It receives plenty of annual rainfall and little sunshine by Spanish standards and has very moderate seasons, most often averaging in

15510-521: The borders of Bardulia (which would turn into Castile ) in order to gain population support north of the mountains. With this growth came a corresponding increase in military forces. The kingdom was now strong enough to sack the Moorish cities of Lisbon , Zamora and Coimbra . However, for centuries to come the focus of these actions was not conquest but pillage and tribute. In the summers of 792, 793 and 794 several Muslim attacks plundered Alava , and

15675-468: The central and southern regions, such as the Guadalquivir and Ebro valleys, presented few problems for the newcomers, who used the existing Visigothic administrative structures, ultimately of Roman origin. However, in the northern mountains, urban centers (such as Gijón ) were practically nonexistent and the submission of the country had to be achieved valley by valley. Muslim troops often resorted to

15840-548: The centralist government of the Second Spanish Republic . For a month, a Popular Front Committee exercised control in southern Asturias, while local workers committees sprang up elsewhere in the region. A defense committee led by anarcho-syndicalist supporters took power in Oviedo. Troops under the command of a then unknown general named Francisco Franco Bahamonde were brought from Spanish Morocco to suppress

16005-440: The crown of León. It continued under that name until incorporated into the Kingdom of Castile in 1230, after Ferdinand III became joint king of the two kingdoms. The Vikings invaded Galicia in 844, but were decisively defeated by Ramiro I at Corunna . Many of the Vikings' casualties were caused by the Galicians' ballistas – powerful torsion-powered projectile weapons that looked rather like giant crossbows . Seventy of

16170-557: The cultural, gastronomic and commercial opportunities that Gijón has to offer. Between 2010 and 2014, the city of Gijón was connected by ferry with the French city of Nantes . This connection was also known as the "sea highway" and it had a frequency of two ferries per day in both directions. The route was cancelled in September 2014. Spain's national Renfe rail network also serves Asturias well; trains regularly depart to and from

16335-544: The decentralised territorial structure established by the Constitution of 1978. Rafael Luis Fernández Álvarez , who had previously served as the President of the Regional Council since 1978, became the first President of the Principality of Asturias , upon the adoption of autonomy. The Asturian regional government holds comprehensive competencies in important areas such as health, education and protection of

16500-468: The decline of the mining industry, and grew just 0.82% in 2008, the lowest of all regions in Spain. On the plus side, unemployment in Asturias is below the average of Spain; it stood at 13.7% in 2017. Asturias is served by Asturias International Airport (OVD) , 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Oviedo, near the northwest coast and the industrial town of Avilés. Eastern Asturias is also easily accessible from Santander Airport . Recent improvements introduced in

16665-634: The definitive collapse of the Roman Mediterranean economic system from the time of the late Roman Empire due to Arab conquests, the continuous propagation of epidemics in the area, and the abandonment of al-Andalus by the Berber regiments after the revolt of 740–741. All this made possible the emergence of a sparsely populated and ill-organized area that insulated the Asturian kingdom from the Moorish assaults and allowed its progressive strengthening. The campaigns of kings Alfonso I and Fruela in

16830-670: The district of Coaña) and " princeps cantabrorum " (over a gravestone of the municipality of Cistierna, in Leon). In fact, the Kingdom of Asturias originated as a focus of leadership over other peoples of the Cantabrian Coast that had resisted the Romans as well as the Visigoths and that were not willing to subject themselves to the dictates of the Umayyad Caliphate. Immigrants from the south, fleeing from Al-Andalus, brought

16995-711: The druids and the bards. Some historians think that Asterio held a religious office which combined elements of paganism and Christianity, while others think he may be linked to the Brythonic refugees that settled in Britonia (Galicia) in the 6th century. The Parrochiale Suevorum, an administrative document from the Kingdom of the Suebi , states that the lands of Asturias belonged to the Britonian See, and some features of Celtic Christianity spread to Northern Spain. This

17160-444: The eastern ḥ aspiration (also written " h. " and cooccurring with ll and f ) are absent from this model. Asturian has triple gender distinction in the adjective , feminine plurals with -es , verb endings with -es, -en, -íes, íen and lacks compound tenses (or periphrasis constructed with " tener "). (*) also zeda , ceda The letters K (ka), J (jota) and W (uve doble) are only used in loanwords and are not part of

17325-547: The end of the 20th century the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (Academy of the Asturian Language) attempted to provide the language with tools needed to promote its survival: a grammar , a dictionary and periodicals . In addition a new generation of Asturian writers has championed the language. In 2021 the first complete translation of the Bible into Asturian was published. Although some 10th-century documents have

17490-400: The environment. The current president, elected in 2019, is Adrián Barbón ( PSOE ). Asturias is organised territorially into 78 municipalities , further subdivided into parishes . Asturias is also divided into eight comarcas , which are not administrative divisions. They are only used as a system to homogenize the statistical data made by the Principality. The parroquia or parish

17655-566: 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

17820-510: The ever-present Spanish construction industry appears to continue to thrive. Asturias has benefited extensively since 1986 from European Union investment in roads and other essential infrastructure , though there has also been some controversy regarding how these funds are spent, for example, on miners' pensions. The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the autonomous community was 23.3 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 1.9% of Spanish economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power

17985-405: The first internal rebellion, led by Mauregato (783–788), occurred during those years. The rebellion removed Alfonso II from the throne (although he became king again later, from 791 to 842). This initiated a series of further rebellions whose principal leaders were members of ascending aristocratic palace groups and landowners who, based on the growing economic development of the area, tried to unseat

18150-469: The governorship of al-Hurr (717–718) and his return to Asturias triggered a revolt against the Muslim authorities of Gijón. The identity of Pelayo, however, is still an open subject, and that is only one of the theories. The leader of the Astures, whose origin is debated by historians, lived at that time in Bres, in the district of Piloña , and Munuza sent his troops there under al-Qama. After receiving word of

18315-562: The happenings of Covadonga, stated that "Divine providence brings forth the King of Asturias". The kingdom was established by the nobleman Pelayo ( Latin : Pelagius ), possibly an Asturian noble. No substantial movement of refugees from central Iberia could have taken place before the Battle of Covadonga , and in 714 Asturias was overrun by Musa bin Nusayr with no effective or known opposition. It has also been claimed that he may have retired to

18480-587: The heart of the Asturian kingdom, reaching up to the capital, Oviedo . In one of the retreats, Alfonso inflicted a severe defeat on the Muslims in the swampy area of Lutos. When Alfonso II died, Ramiro I (842–50) staged a coup against the Count of the Palace Nepotian , who had taken the throne. After a battle on a bridge over the river Narcea , Nepotian was captured in flight, blinded and then forced into monastic life. Early in his reign, in 844, Ramiro

18645-539: The historic and cultural value of Asturian, urging the compilation of a dictionary and a grammar and the creation of a language academy . Notable writers included Francisco Bernaldo de Quirós Benavides (1675), Xosefa Xovellanos (1745), Xuan González Villar y Fuertes (1746), Xosé Caveda y Nava (1796), Xuan María Acebal (1815), Teodoro Cuesta (1829), Xosé Benigno García González, Marcos del Torniello (1853), Bernardo Acevedo y Huelves (1849), Pin de Pría (1864), Galo Fernández and Fernán Coronas (1884). In 1974,

18810-465: The invaders by surprise in the Battle of Covadonga . The Reconquista and eventual unification of all Spain is therefore said to have started in this very location. The paleolithic art in the caves of Asturias is a declared World Heritage Site with the Paleolithic Art of Northern Spain . Asturias also has examples of industrial heritage as a consequence of its industrial activities in

18975-402: The kingdom of Asturias. This version, defended by some historians, who even named this historical phase as that of the "lazy kings", derived from the fact that, during it, there were apparently no important military actions against al-Andalus. However, there were relevant and decisive internal transformations, which provided a foundation for the strengthening and the expansion of Asturias. First,

19140-587: The kingdom some time after the battle of Covadonga to marry Ermesinda. Favila's death made his access to the throne possible as well as the rise of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom of Asturias, the House of Cantabria . Initially, only Alfonso moved to the court in Cangas de Onís , but, after the progressive depopulation of the plateau and the Middle Valley of the Ebro , where the main strongholds of

19305-437: The language is available from Debian , Fedora , Firefox , Thunderbird , LibreOffice , VLC , GNOME , Chromium and KDE . Minecraft also has an Asturian translation. Misplaced Pages offers an Asturian version of itself, with 136,000+ pages as of November 2024. Kingdom of Asturias 43°21′45″N 5°50′35″W  /  43.36250°N 5.84306°W  / 43.36250; -5.84306 The Kingdom of Asturias

19470-542: The last phase of his military campaign, he reached the northwest of the Peninsula, where he gained control of the localities of Astorga and Gijón . In the latter city, he placed a small Berber detachment under a governor, Munuza , whose mission was to consolidate Muslim control over Asturias. As a guarantee of the submission of the region, some nobles – some argue that Pelayo was among them – had to surrender hostages from Asturias to Cordoba. The legend says that his sister

19635-474: The law on usage of Asturian, the principality's 2003–07 plan for establishing the language and the work of the Xunta Asesora de Toponimia , which researches and confirms the Asturian names of requesting villages, towns, conceyos and cities (50 of 78 conceyos as of 2012). Asturian has several dialects. They are regulated by the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana and mainly spoken in Asturias (except in

19800-609: The leading noble at the still-independent Visigothic duchy of Cantabria . His son Favila was married to Froiliuba. Recent archaeological excavations have found fortifications in Mount Homon and La Carisa (near the Huerna and Pajares valleys) dated between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth centuries. The Berber fortifications included watchtowers and moats of almost two meters, in whose construction and defense many hundreds may have participated. That would have required

19965-582: The linguistic features of Asturian, numerous examples (such as writings by notaries , contracts and wills ) begin in the 13th century. Early examples are the 1085 Fuero de Avilés (the oldest parchment preserved in Asturias) and the 13th-century Fuero de Oviedo and the Leonese version of the Fueru Xulgu . The 13th-century documents were the laws for towns, cities and the general population. By

20130-628: The list. However, due to the close relationship between Castilian and Asturian, it is often unclear if a word is borrowed from Castilian, common to both languages from Latin, or a loanword from Asturian to Castilian. Some Castilian forms in Asturian are: Pá nuesu que tas nel cielu, santificáu seya'l to nome. Amiye'l to reinu, fágase la to voluntá, lo mesmo na tierra que'n cielu. El nuesu pan cotidianu dánoslu güei ya perdónanos les nueses ofenses, lo mesmo que nós facemos colos que nos faltaron. Nun nos dexes cayer na tentación, ya llíbranos del mal. Amén. Noso Pai que estás no ceo: santificado sexa o teu nome, veña

20295-546: The locals were able to ambush the Muslim detachment, which was nearly annihilated. The few survivors continued south to the plains of Leon , leaving the maritime districts of Asturias exposed. The victory, relatively small, as only a few Berber soldiers were involved, resulted in great prestige for Pelayo and provoked a massive insurrection by other nobles in Galicia and Asturias who immediately rallied around him, electing him King or military Dux . Under Pelayo's leadership,

20460-503: The long history of monarchs and others at the sport, and the case is suspiciously similar to the Roman legend of their first king, Romulus , taken by a sudden storm. The immediate consequence was that the rule of the Asturians passed to his brother-in-law, ruler of the neighboring independent domain, through a marriage alliance to Fafila's sister. The female ties and rights of inheritance were still respected, and in later cases would allow

20625-579: The lower 20s Celsius . Heat waves are rare due to mountains blocking southerly winds. Winters are very mild for the latitude, especially near sea level. The most important cities are the communal capital, Oviedo , the seaport and largest city Gijón , and the industrial town of Avilés . Other municipalities in Asturias include Cangas de Onís , Cangas del Narcea , Gozón , Grado , Langreo , Llanera , Laviana , Lena , Llanes , Mieres , Siero , Valdés , Vegadeo and Villaviciosa ( see also List of municipalities and comarcas in Asturias ). Asturias

20790-440: The minor toponymy was preserved in multiple districts; second, there are biological and cultural differences between the inhabitants of the Cantabrian zone and those of the central Plateau. What is true is that in the first half of the eighth century there was a process of rural growth that led to the abandonment of urban life and the organization of the population in small communities of shepherds. Several causes explain this process:

20955-633: The most relevant iconographic happening in the History of Mankind". Beatus develops in them a personal interpretation of the Book of Revelation , accompanied by quotes from the Old Testament , the Church Fathers and fascinating illustrations. In these Commentaries a new interpretation of the apocalyptic accounts is given: Babylon no longer represents the city of Rome, but Córdoba, seat of

21120-499: The neuter gender in some areas, with the ending -u instead of -o ( agua friu , xenti güenu , ropa tendíu , carne guisáu ), and a distinction between direct and indirect objects in first- and second-person singular pronouns (direct me and te v. indirect mi and ti ) in some municipalities bordering the Sella: busquéte (a ti) y alcontréte/busquéti les llaves y alcontrétiles , llévame (a mi) la fesoria en carru . Asturian forms

21285-416: The port of Gijón, so pollution would be likely to heavily affect the population. A Spanish government study conducted in 2010 regarding life expectancy in relative communities, Asturias was ranked lowest (tied with Andalucia ) for male life expectancy with 76.7 years from 2007 readings. However, female life expectancy was 84 years and normal among autonomous communities. However, even the male life expectancy

21450-537: The regency or crown for their husbands too. Pelayo founded a dynasty in Asturias that survived for decades and gradually expanded the kingdom's boundaries, until all of northwest Iberia was included by c.  775 . The reign of Alfonso II from 791 to 842 saw further expansion of the kingdom to the south, almost as far as Lisbon . Favila was succeeded by Alfonso I , who inherited the throne of Asturias thanks to his marriage to Pelayo's daughter, Ermesinda. The Albeldensian Chronicle narrated how Alfonso arrived in

21615-475: The region entered into recorded history. The Astures were subdued by the Romans, but were never fully conquered. After several centuries without foreign presence, they enjoyed a brief revival during the Germanic invasions of the late 4th century AD, resisting Suebi and Visigoth raids throughout the 5th century AD, ending with the Moorish invasion of Spain . However, as it had been for the Romans and Visigoths,

21780-505: The region is dotted with many large modernista villas, as well as cultural institutions such as free schools and public libraries. Asturias played an important part in the events that led up to the Spanish Civil War . In October 1934, Asturian miners and other workers staged an armed uprising (see Revolution of Asturias ) to oppose the coming to power of the right-wing CEDA party, which had obtained three ministerial posts in

21945-587: The reign of Ordoño I . Ordoño was at the moment engaged against his constant enemies, the Moors , but a count of the province, Don Pedro, attacked the Vikings and defeated them, inflicting severe losses upon them. Ordoño's successor, Alfonso III , strove to protect the coast against attacks from Vikings or Moors. In 968, Gunrod of Norway attacked Galicia with 100 ships and 8,000 warriors. They roamed freely for years and even occupied Santiago de Compostela. A Galician count of Visigothic descent, Gonzalo Sánchez , ended

22110-425: The reigning family of Don Pelayo. The important rebellions of Nepociano, Aldroito and Piniolo, during the reign of Ramiro I (842–50), are part of this process of economic, social, political and cultural transformation of the Asturian kingdom that occurred during the eighth and ninth centuries. Second, neighboring rebellions by Basques and Galicians failed, quashed by Asturian kings. These rebels took advantage of

22275-510: The revolt. Franco applied tactics normally reserved for overseas colonies, using troops of the Spanish Legion and Moroccan troops ; ferocious oppression followed. As a result, Asturias remained loyal to the republican government during the Spanish Civil War , and was the scene of an extraordinary defence in extreme terrain, the Battle of El Mazuco . With Franco eventually gaining control of all Spain, Asturias — traditionally linked to

22440-426: The road network permit flying into Santander and later driving into Asturias, which can be entered in less than an hour's drive. The Irish airline Ryanair operates flights to Santander Airport from Frankfurt Hahn, Liverpool, Dublin, Edinburgh, London Stansted and Rome Ciampino. El Musel (the Port of Gijón) is able to receive cruise ships of any size. Companies such as P&O, Swan Hellenic or Hapag Lloyd choose

22605-544: The same time, there was significant migration to the Americas (especially Argentina , Uruguay , Puerto Rico , Cuba and Mexico ); those who succeeded overseas often returned to their native land much wealthier. These entrepreneurs were known collectively as Indianos , for having visited and made their fortunes in the West Indies and beyond. The heritage of these wealthy families can still be seen in Asturias today:

22770-487: The second half of the 16th century, documents were written in Castilian, backed by the Trastámara dynasty and making the civil and ecclesiastical arms of the principality Castilian. Although the Asturian language disappeared from written texts during the sieglos escuros (dark centuries), it survived orally. The only written mention during this time is from a 1555 work by Hernán Núñez about proverbs and adages : "...in

22935-481: The siege in alliance with his brother-in-law García Iñiguez, the king of Pamplona, whose small realm was threatened by the eastwards expansion of the Asturian monarchy. In the battle that followed, Musa was defeated and lost valuable treasures in the process, some of which were sent as a gift to Charles the Bald of Francia. Seven days after the victory, Albelda fell and, as the chronicler records, "its warriors were killed by

23100-411: The springs of the river Ebro were located in the land of the Astures ( sub asturibus ). In any case, ethnic borders in the Cantabrian Mountains were not so important after that time, as the clan divisions that permeated the pre-Roman societies of all the peoples of Northern Iberia faded under similar political administrative culture imposed on them by the Romans. The situation started to change during

23265-513: The stories of the Irish immrama . Asturian kings promoted Christianity and but also based their power on indigenous religious traditions, like other medieval European kings such as Penda of Mercia or Widukind , but also relied on Christian sacred scriptures (in particular, the books of Revelation , Ezekiel and Daniel ) and the Church Fathers . These furnished the new monarchy with its foundational myths. They did not need to draft new laws since

23430-538: The summer resort of Llanes, such as the Barro, Ballota and Torimbia (the latter a predominantly nudist beach). Most of Asturias's beaches are sandy, clean, and bordered by steep cliffs, on top of which it is not unusual to see grazing livestock. The key features of Asturian geography are its rugged coastal cliffs and the mountainous interior. The climate of Asturias is heavily marked by the Gulf Stream. Falling within

23595-492: The sword and the place itself was destroyed down to its foundations." Musa was wounded in the battle and died in 862/3; soon thereafter, Musa's son Lubb, governor of Toledo, submitted himself to the Asturian king for the rest of Ordoño's reign. When Alfonso III's sons forced his abdication in 910, the Kingdom of Asturias split into three separate kingdoms: León , Galicia and Asturias. The three kingdoms were eventually reunited in 924 (León and Galicia in 914, Asturias later) under

23760-508: The taking of hostages to ensure the pacification of the newly conquered territory. After the first incursion of Tarik , who reached Toledo in 711, the Yemeni viceroy of Ifriqiya , Musa bin Nusayr , crossed the Strait of Gibraltar the following year and carried out a massive operation of conquest that would lead to the capture of Mérida, Toledo, Zaragoza and Lerida, among other cities. During

23925-709: The territory came under the cultural influence of the Celts ; the local Celtic peoples, known as the Astures , were composed of tribes such as the Luggones , the Pesicos , and others, who populated the entire area with castros (fortified hill-towns). Today the Astur Celtic influence persists in place names , such as those of rivers and mountains. With the conquest of Asturias by the Romans under Augustus (29–19 BC),

24090-585: The towns of Astorga and León . The expedition consisted of two detachments, one of which was decisively defeated at Polvoraria on the river Órbigo , with an alleged loss of 13,000 men. In 881, Alfonso took the offensive, leading an army deep into the Lower March, crossing the Tagus River to approach Mérida . Then miles from the city the Asturian army crossed the Guadiana River and defeated

24255-492: The unrest in the central and Eastern part of Asturias, and, on occasion, provided help to one or another contender for the throne: by providing refuge to Alfonso II in Alava after his flight; the support for Nepociano's rebellion in some Asturian areas; and the adherence of Galicians to the cause of Ramiro I. Finally, other evidence suggests important internal transformations occurred during this time. Rebellions of freedmen ( serbi , servilis orico and libertini , according to

24420-416: The west of Asturias and Cantabria province to the east. Similar opportunities are available for the interested traveler of Asturias in Caldoveiro Peak . The Asturian coastline is extensive, with hundreds of beaches, coves and natural sea caves. Notable examples include the Playa del Silencio ( Beach of Silence ) near the fishing village of Cudillero (west of Gijón ), as well as the many beaches surrounding

24585-442: The west, where Galician-Asturian is spoken). The dialect spoken in the adjoining area of Castile and León is known as Leonese . Asturian is traditionally divided into three dialectal areas, sharing traits with the dialect spoken in León: western, central and eastern. The dialects are mutually intelligible. Central Asturian, with the most speakers (more than 80 percent), is the basis for standard Asturian. The first Asturian grammar

24750-439: Was agriculture and fishing . Milk production and its derivatives was also traditional, but its big development was a byproduct of the economic expansion of the late 1960s. Nowadays, products from the dairy cooperative Central Lechera Asturiana are being commercialised all over Spain. The main regional industry in modern times, however, was coal mining and steel production: in the times of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, it

24915-400: Was 24,400 euros or 81% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 98% of the EU average. This makes the region the 10th richest in Spain, a big decrease from the 1970s/1980s - the heyday of the Spanish mining industry, when Asturias was commonly regarded as one of the most prosperous regions in Southern Europe. Asturias has been growing below the Spanish national average since

25080-501: Was Alfonso I's bastard son with a Moorish woman, and attributes to him the tribute of a hundred maidens. He was succeeded by Bermudo I, Aurelio's brother. He was called "the deacon", although he probably received only minor vows. Bermudo abdicated after a military defeat, ending his life in a monastery. It was not until King Alfonso II (791–842) that the kingdom was firmly established, after Silo's subjugated Gallaecia and confirmed territorial gains in western Basque Country . Ties with

25245-430: Was a kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula founded by the Visigothic nobleman Pelagius . It was the first Christian political entity established after the Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania in 711. 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 Reconquista . The Asturian kings would occasionally make peace with

25410-456: Was asked for, and a marriage alliance sought with the local Berber leader. Later on, Munuza would try to do the same at another mountain post in the Pyrenees, where he rebelled against his Cordoban Arab superiors. The Berbers had been converted to Islam barely a generation earlier, and were considered second rank to Arabs and Syrians. The most commonly accepted hypothesis for the battle (epic as described by later Christian Asturian sources, but

25575-421: Was born a man, and was adopted by God and acquired a divine dimension only after his passion and resurrection . Beatus refuted this theological position, championed by such figures as Elipando , bishop of Toledo . The adoptionist theology had its roots in Gothic Arianism , which denied the divinity of Jesus, and in Hellenistic religion , with examples of heroes like Heracles who, after their death attained

25740-443: Was elected king after Silo's death, but Mauregato organized a strong opposition and forced the new king to withdraw to lands in Alava (his mother, Munia, was Basque), obtaining the Asturian throne. The king, despite the bad reputation attributed by history, had good relations with Beatus of Liébana , perhaps the most important cultural figure of the kingdom, and supported him in his fight against adoptionism . Legend says that Mauregato

25905-441: Was faced with a Viking attack at a place called Farum Brecantium , believed to be present-day Corunna . He gathered an army in Galicia and Asturias and defeated the Vikings , killing many of them and burning their ships. In 859, a second Viking fleet set out for Spain. The Vikings were slaughtered off the coast of Galicia by Count Pedro. The considerable territorial expansion of the Asturian kingdom under Alfonso III (866–910)

26070-411: Was inhabited first by Homo erectus , then by Neanderthals . Since the Lower Paleolithic era, and during the Upper Paleolithic , Asturias was characterized by cave paintings in the eastern part of the area. In the Mesolithic period, a native culture developed, that of the Asturiense , and later, with the introduction of the Bronze Age , megaliths and tumuli were constructed. In the Iron Age ,

26235-415: Was largely made possible by the collapse of Umayyad control over many parts of Al-Andalus at this time. Between in the year 773 the western frontier of the kingdom in Galicia was expanded into the northern part of modern-day Portugal pushing the border roughly to the Douro valley, and between 868 and 881 it expanded further south reaching all the way to the Mondego . The year 878 saw a Muslim assault on

26400-413: Was marked much higher than any other Spanish metro area, in spite of the much larger populations in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona . This was attributed to heavy industrial activities. Since outdoor air pollution is a major cause of premature death in Europe, the excessive pollution is a major concern for Asturias. The majority of Asturias population live within a 25 kilometres (16 mi) range from

26565-406: Was published in 1998 and the first dictionary in 2000. Western Asturian is spoken between the rivers Navia and Nalón , in the west of the province of León (where it is known as Leonese) and in the provinces of Zamora and Salamanca . Feminine plurals end in -as and the falling diphthongs /ei/ and /ou/ are maintained. Central Asturian is spoken between the Sella River and the mouth of

26730-474: Was slow and gradual; for a long time they co-existed in a diglossic relationship, first in the Kingdom of Asturias and later in that of Asturias and Leon. During the 12th, 13th and part of the 14th centuries Astur-Leonese was used in the kingdom's official documents, with many examples of agreements, donations, wills and commercial contracts from that period onwards. Although there are no extant literary works written in Asturian from this period, some books (such as

26895-442: Was succeeded by Aurelius (768–74), son of Fruela of Cantabria and Peter of Cantabria's grandson, who would establish the court in what is today the district of San Martín del Rey Aurelio , which previously belonged to Langreo. Silo (774–83) succeeded Aurelio after his death, and transferred the court to Pravia . Silo was married to Adosinda , one of the daughters of Alfonso I (and therefore, Pelayo's granddaughter). Alfonso II

27060-418: Was the centre of Spain's steel industry. The then state-owned ENSIDESA steel company is now part of the privatised Aceralia , now part of the ArcelorMittal Group. The industry created many jobs, which resulted in significant migration from other regions in Spain, mainly Extremadura , Andalusia and Castile and León . The steel industry is now in decline when measured in terms of number of jobs provided, as

27225-423: Was to protect the valleys of central Asturias from invaders who came from the Meseta through the Pajares pass: the construction of these fortifications reveals a high degree of organization and cooperation among the several Asturian communities, in order to defend themselves from the southern invaders. Carbon-14 tests have found that the wall dates from the period 675–725 AD, when two armed expeditions against

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