Church of Santa Cruz de Cangas de Onís, Cangas de Onís, Spain

Santa Cruz de Cangas de Onís is a small Roman Catholic chapel in Cangas de Onís, the first capital of the Kingdom of Asturias. It was founded on an artificial mound (a pagan dolmen) by Favila, second king of Asturias, and his queen, Froiliuba. It was begun in 737 and consecrated that same year on 27 October according to its original foundation stone, which has been called the first literary monument of the Reconquista.

Santa Cruz originally housed the Cruz de la Victoria, an oak cross supposedly carried by Pelagius, Favila's father, at the Battle of Covadonga. It was probably the first church constructed after the Islamic invasion of Spain in 711.

The church was completely rebuilt on two occasions. First in 1632 and again after its destruction in the Spanish Civil War (1936). Then, local authorities decided to uncover the dolmen beneath it, which had been obscured by a church since the fourth century, when the first chapel was put up on that site. Of the original building only the foundation stone survives.

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User Reviews

diane jones (2 years ago)
Interesting but tiny, its not a long visit, I would sugges visit as part of a town walk. Lots of information on the walls about the history but all in Spanish & mobile signal for translations too weak. Read more in the evening back at the hotel. Its in a major tourist town so lack of some information in english a surprise.

Adam Edwards (2 years ago)
Quite extra ordinary: Chapel rebuilt after being destroyed in the Civil War, originally built in 700s on top of a dolmen, which you can see in the basement through a hole in the floor. Lots of information in Spanish.

Jpls9 Sk8 (3 years ago)
Good to visit

andrew game555 (5 years ago)
Nice

Jenny Hayes (5 years ago)
Very pleasant guide

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Church of Santa Cruz de Cangas de Onís

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