Alfonso I of Asturias

Alfonso I of Asturias, called the Catholic (el Católico), (c. 693 – 757) was the third King of Asturias, reigning from 739 to his death in 757. His reign saw an extension of the Christian domain of Asturias, reconquering Galicia and León.

He succeeded his brother-in-law Favila, and was succeeded by his son, Fruela I. Alfonso's youngest son, Mauregatus, also became king, and his daughter Adosinda was consort to king Silo of Asturias. The dynasty started by Alfonso is known by its contemporary Arabic name, the Beni Alfons (Sons of Alfonso).

Biography

As the son of Duke Peter of Cantabria, Alfonso held many lands in that region. He is said to have married Ermesinda, daughter of Pelagius, who founded Asturias after the Battle of Covadonga in which he reversed the Moorish conquest of the region. He succeeded Pelagius' son, his brother-in-law, Favila, on the throne after the latter's premature death.

Whether Pelagius or Favila were ever considered kings in their own lifetime is debatable, but Alfonso certainly was. He began a lifelong war against the Moors. In 740, he conquered Galicia and in 754, León. He went as far as La Rioja. However, the few urban populations of these frontier regions fled to his northern dominions, leaving a depopulated buffer between the Christian and Muslim states.

Asturias

Asturias (English /ɑːˈstʊəriəsˌ ə-/; Spanish: [asˈtuɾjas]; Asturian: Asturies [asˈtuɾjes]), officially the Principality of Asturias (Spanish: Principado de Asturias; Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies), is an autonomous community in north-west 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), the autonomous community of Asturias is bordered by Cantabria to the east, by Castile and León to the south, by Galicia to the west, and by the Bay of Biscay to the north.

The most important cities are the communal capital, Oviedo (Uviéu or Uvieo), the seaport and largest city Gijón (Xixón), and the industrial town of Avilés. Other municipalities in Asturias include Cangas de Onís (Cangues d'Onís), Cangas del Narcea, Gozón, Grado (Grau or Grao), Langreo (Llangréu), Llanera, Laviana (Llaviana), Lena (Ḷḷena), Llanes, Mieres, Siero, Valdés, Vegadeo (A Veiga) and Villaviciosa (see also List of municipalities and comarcas in Asturias).

Asturias (Spanish Congress Electoral District)

Coordinates: 43°20′N 6°00′W / 43.333°N 6.000°W / 43.333; -6.000Asturias is one of the 52 electoral districts (Spanish: circunscripciones) used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies – the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. The method of election is the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 3%.

The largest municipalities are Gijón and Oviedo, with a population of over 200,000. The next municipalities in size, with a population over 40,000, are Avilés, Siero, Langreo and Mieres.

Results

General elections

2015

2011

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2008

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2004

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2000

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1996

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1993

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1989

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1986

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1982

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Asturias (sculpture)

The urban sculpture known by the name of Asturias is located in calle Uría, in front of the Renfe-FEVE railway station, in the city of Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is one of over a hundred sculptures that adorn the streets of that city.

The sculpture, executed in coal and steel, is the work of José Noja, and dates from 1991. It was commissioned from Noja by the rail company Renfe, which sought a work of art to adorn the rail station of Oviedo. This large-scale work is intended as a homage to the Principality of Asturias, and so it incorporates materials such as coal that are characteristic of Asturian industry.

References

Coordinates: 43°21′58″N 5°51′17″W / 43.3662°N 5.8547°W / 43.3662; -5.8547