Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The Virgin of the Cave and the Battle of Don Pelayo

Cangas de Onís, Asturias (Spain) (c. 722)

There are places where faith and patriotism intertwine, and Covadonga is one of them. In the Holy Cave, carved into the rock in the municipality of Cangas de Onís, a small polychrome wooden statue is venerated, affectionately known as La Santina by the Asturians. Tradition links it to Don Pelayo and the Battle of Covadonga, around the year 722, later seen as the symbolic beginning of the Reconquista.

According to the pious tale, before Pelayo's arrival, a hermit already venerated an image of the Virgin in that cave. Pelayo and his men took refuge there, and there, kneeling, the leader invoked the protection of the Mother of God before the battle. Some versions say that the Virgin appeared to him. And in the battle, the legend says, miracles occurred: arrows launched against the Christians sheltering in the crag bounced back and struck the archers themselves, and a storm and a rockslide buried part of the enemy army, all attributed to Mary's intercession.

As an editor, I must make an honest distinction. The existence of Don Pelayo and a Christian victory in the Covadonga area is documented; its interpretation as the initial milestone of the Reconquista is a later historiographical construction. In contrast, the visible apparition of the Virgin, the ricocheting arrows, and the mountain looming over the enemy are pious traditions, not verifiable physical facts. The sanctuary itself acknowledges that "early history has left us nothing written" about the beginnings of the cult, and that the current statue is not the one from the 8th century, since "we do not know what the original image looked like." Furthermore, there were fires and destruction that necessitated its replacement.

What is documented and precious is her patronage: patron saint of Oviedo and its diocese since 1630, and of the Principality of Asturias since 1968. Every September 8th, the feast of the Nativity of Mary, the people of Asturias climb to the cave and shout with all their hearts, "Long live the Virgin of Covadonga!" Regarding the Rosary, prudence is advised: there is no record of a Rosary institution specific to Covadonga like the one in Fatima, but the Hail Mary accompanies, as in every Marian shrine, the steps of the pilgrims who ascend to the Cave.