Alfonso II of Asturias
Encyclopedia
Alfonso II called the Chaste, was the king of Asturias from 791 to his death, the son of Fruela I
and the Basque
Munia.
He was born in Oviedo
in 759 or 760. He was put under the guardianship of his aunt Adosinda
after his father's death, but one tradition relates his being put in the monastery of Samos
. He was the governor of the palace during the reign of Adosinda's husband Silo
. On Silo's death, he was elected king by Adosinda's allies, but the magnates raised his uncle Mauregatus
to the throne instead. Alfonso fled to Álava
to live with his maternal relatives.
Mauregatus was succeeded by Bermudo
, Alfonso's cousin, who abdicated after his defeat at Burbia. Alfonso was subsequently elected king on 14 September 791. The events of his reign are in reality almost unknown. Poets of a later generation invented the story of the secret marriage of his sister Ximena to Sancho, count of Saldana, and the feats of their son Bernardo del Carpio
. Bernardo is the hero of a cantar de gesta
(chanson de geste) written to please the anarchical spirit of the nobles.
What is known is that he maintained contact with the court of Charlemagne
. He sent delegations to Aachen
in 796, 797, and 798, but we do not know the purposes. They may have dealt with the security of his kingdom from the ongoing attacks of the Ibn Mugait brothers. On the other hand, they may have been related to the adoptionist controversy which had brought Bermudo's kingdom into Charlemagne's view.
Militarily, Alfonso did much to secure his own realm against the Moors
. He took Lisbon
in 798. He defeated the Moslems at Narón
and Anceo (825) and, thanks to these victories, began the repopulation of parts of Galicia, León
, and Castile
.
Alfonso also moved the capital from Pravia
, where Silo had located it, to Oviedo
, the city of his father's founding and his birth. There he constructed churches and a palace. He built San Tirso
, where he is buried, and Santullano, on the outskirts. The Crónica Sebastianense records his death in 842, saying:
Tradition relates that in 814, the body of Saint James the Greater was discovered in Compostela
and that Alfonso was the first pilgrim to that famous medieval (and modern) shrine.
Fruela I of Asturias
Fruela I , called the Cruel, was the King of Asturias from 757 until his death, when he was assassinated. He was the eldest son of Alfonso I and continued the work of his father....
and the Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
Munia.
He was born in Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
in 759 or 760. He was put under the guardianship of his aunt Adosinda
Adosinda
Adosinda was the queen of Asturias during the reign of her husband, Silo, from 774 to 783. She was a daughter of Alfonso I and Ermesinda, daughter of the first Asturian king, Pelayo. She was a sister of Fruela I....
after his father's death, but one tradition relates his being put in the monastery of Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
. He was the governor of the palace during the reign of Adosinda's husband Silo
Silo of Asturias
Silo was the king of Asturias from 774 to 783. He succeeded Aurelius, having married Adosinda, daughter of Alfonso I.He transferred the capital from Cangas de Onís to the village of Pravia, which was closer to the centre of the kingdom. He was a local magnate of the region around Pravia...
. On Silo's death, he was elected king by Adosinda's allies, but the magnates raised his uncle Mauregatus
Mauregatus of Asturias
Mauregatus the Usurper was the king of Asturias from 783 to 788 or 789. He was an illegitimate son of Alfonso I, supposedly by a Moorish serf. He usurped the throne on the death of Silo, his brother-in-law...
to the throne instead. Alfonso fled to Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
to live with his maternal relatives.
Mauregatus was succeeded by Bermudo
Bermudo I of Asturias
Bermudo I , called the Deacon or the Monk, was the King of Asturias from 788 or 789 until his abdication in 791. He was a son of Fruela, brother of Alfonso I, and a brother of Aurelius...
, Alfonso's cousin, who abdicated after his defeat at Burbia. Alfonso was subsequently elected king on 14 September 791. The events of his reign are in reality almost unknown. Poets of a later generation invented the story of the secret marriage of his sister Ximena to Sancho, count of Saldana, and the feats of their son Bernardo del Carpio
Bernardo del Carpio
Bernald del Carpio, also Bernaldo del Carpio and Bernardo del Carpio, is a legendary hero of medieval Kingdom of Asturias, comparable to other legendary medieval Iberian heroes like El Cid.-The story:...
. Bernardo is the hero of a cantar de gesta
Cantar de gesta
A cantar de gesta is the Spanish equivalent of the Old French medieval chanson de geste or "songs of heroic deeds".The most important cantares de gesta of Castile were:...
(chanson de geste) written to please the anarchical spirit of the nobles.
What is known is that he maintained contact with the court of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. He sent delegations to Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in 796, 797, and 798, but we do not know the purposes. They may have dealt with the security of his kingdom from the ongoing attacks of the Ibn Mugait brothers. On the other hand, they may have been related to the adoptionist controversy which had brought Bermudo's kingdom into Charlemagne's view.
Militarily, Alfonso did much to secure his own realm against the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
. He took Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in 798. He defeated the Moslems at Narón
Narón
Narón is a municipality in Ferrolterra, Galicia .Geographically, the town is very close to the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Ferrol is 5 km away...
and Anceo (825) and, thanks to these victories, began the repopulation of parts of Galicia, León
León (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
, and Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
.
Alfonso also moved the capital from Pravia
Pravia
Pravia is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias. It is bordered on the north by Cudillero and Muros de Nalón, on the east by Candamo and Soto del Barco, on the west by Cudillero and Salas, and on the south by Candamo and Salas.Since 774, when King Silo...
, where Silo had located it, to Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, the city of his father's founding and his birth. There he constructed churches and a palace. He built San Tirso
San Tirso
San Tirso is one of eleven parishes in Candamo, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain.It is in size with a population of 151 .-Villages:* Otero* Villa* San Tirso...
, where he is buried, and Santullano, on the outskirts. The Crónica Sebastianense records his death in 842, saying:
- tras haber llevado por 52 años casta, sobria, inmaculada, piadosa y gloriosamente el gobierno del reino
- [after having held for 52 years chastely, soberly, immaculately, piously, and gloriously the government of the realm]
Tradition relates that in 814, the body of Saint James the Greater was discovered in Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
and that Alfonso was the first pilgrim to that famous medieval (and modern) shrine.