One of the great attractions that it has Asturias, which has many, is the Covadonga Sanctuary, which is inside the Picos de Europa National Park. It is located in the municipality of Cangas de Onís and has incredible beauty that means that if you are in the area it is a must-see, or even that you organize a trip just to get to know this place.
Covadonga means "Cave of the Lady", and the first construction in the Holy Cave was in the times of Alfonso I, who had a chapel built to commemorate the victory of King Pelayo in his fight against the Muslims. The King Pelayo's tomb It is currently in the same cave, although the chapel that exists now dates from the 1940s and is romantic in style, with a polychrome wooden Santina holding the Child and a golden rose.
The magic of this place is completed by the low lake of the Cave, the tunnels that communicate with the high areas and the staircase that must be crossed to reach it, all forming a spectacular natural environment. The Covadonga Basilica It is entirely built in pink limestone that was obtained from the surrounding mountains, and in the entrance portico there are two busts that correspond to the bishops of the Ovetense See, who were the ones who started and finished the work.
The Sanctuary also has a Museum, which has suffered several fires throughout its history but still still conserves pieces of great historical value. There you will find the Crown of the Virgin of Covadonga (made with gold, diamonds, rubies and platinum), the Ivory Christ (donated by King Felipe II) and various paintings, drawings, liturgical clothes and goldsmith works.
The Collegiate church It is the oldest building in the entire Sanctuary, with a rectangular plan that is distributed around a courtyard and that has a ribbed vault, a choir and a square tower. The interior cannot be visited but only for the rest it is already worth seeing.
Photogrammetry + Lidar 2018: Asturias - Sanctuary of Covadonga (April 2024)
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