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Recognition and later solidification

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It was not until King Alfonso II (791-842) that the kingdom was firmly established, after Silo's conquests to the west by subjugating Galicia and the confirming territorial gains in western Basque areas.[1] Ties with the Carolingian Franks also got closer and 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",[2] suggesting some kind of suzerainty.[3] Also, 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 the Asturian Court the order and ceremonies of the former Visigoth Kingdom.[4] During Alfonso II's reign or later, the holy bones of St. James the Great were declared to have been found in Galicia at Iria Flavia. They were considered authentic by the contemporaneous pope Leo III. However, during the Asturian period, Saint Eulalia (located in Oviedo) became the prime religious site and icon of devotion.

Alfonso II also repopulated parts of Galicia, León and Castile and incorporated them into the Kingdom of Asturia while establishing influence over . 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).

With the forced abdication of Alfonso III "the Great" of Asturias by his sons in 910, the Kingdom of Asturias split into three separate kingdoms of León, Galicia and Asturias. The three kingdoms were eventually reunited in 924 (León and Galicia in 914, Asturias later) under 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.

  1. ^ Collins, Roger (1989). The Arab Conquest of Spain 710-797. Oxford, UK / Cambridge, USA: Blackwell. p. 165. ISBN 0-631-19405-3.
  2. ^ Collins, Roger (1983). Early Medieval Spain. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 132. ISBN 0-312-22464-8.
  3. ^ Sholod, Barton (1966). Charlemagne in Spain: The Cultural Legacy of Roncesvalles. Librairie Droz. p. 42. ISBN 2600034781. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ Collins, Roger (1983). Early Medieval Spain. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 132. ISBN 0-312-22464-8.