We will start our morning in Oviedo, the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. On our way, we will stop to visit the church of St Christine of Lena, an Asturian pre-Romanesque church located in the Lena municipality, on an old Roman road that joined the lands of the plateau with Asturias. It was built around the year 850 and is one of the most interesting examples of pre-Romanesque Asturian art. The Kingdom of Asturias began in 720, with the Visigothic aristocrat Pelagius's (685–737) revolt against the Muslims who at the time were occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula. The Moorish invasion that began in 711 had taken control of most of the peninsula, until the revolt in the northern mountains by Pelagius. The resulting Kingdom of Asturias, located in an economically poor region of Iberia, was largely ignored by the Muslims. In 720, the area where Oviedo is now located was still uninhabited. The rapid development of the city was hindered in the 11th century by the moving of the royal court to León. Thus, the main life of the former capital was linked to the relics preserved in its cathedral that were visiting it on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
The Cathedral of San Salvador of Oviedo today displays an array of architectural styles, from Pre-Romanesque to Baroque, including Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance parts. The cathedral was also called Sancta Ovetensis owing to the quantity and quality of relics contained in the Cámara Santa (“Holy Chamber”). The Holy Chamber is the only surviving portion of the ancient medieval complex. Bishop Pelagius relates that the Agate Box, (the chief reliquary of the chamber) a coffer made by the disciples of the Apostles and containing the most precious relics of the Holy City, was taken from Jerusalem to Africa, and after residing in several locations was finally placed at Oviedo by Alfonso II. Among the most prized relics is the Sudarium of Oviedo, or , a Shroud of Oviedo, bloodstained piece of cloth measuring c. 84 x 53 cm (33 x 21 inches) believed to be the cloth that was wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died as described in John 20:6–7.
In the afternoon, we will return to Leon. Of greatest pilgrim importance here is the Basílica de San Isidoro de León. Its Christian roots can be traced back to the early 10th century when a monastery for Saint John the Baptist was erected on the grounds. In 1063, the basilica was rededicated to Saint Isidore of Seville. Isidore was the archbishop of Seville and the most celebrated academic and theologian of Visigothic Spain in the period preceding the Arab invasions. With the agreement of the Muslim ruler of Seville, Isidore's relics were brought to Leon where they could be interred on Christian soil. Shortly after the rededication of the Cathedral, the Royal Pantheon was built by King Fernando the First and Queen Sancha. The mural decoration ordered by her daughter Urraca gained Pantheon the nickname of 'The Sistine Chapel of the Romanesque Art'.
Our last visit today will be to the San Miguel de Escalada monastery located on the outskirts of Leon. The building is a very fine example of Mozarabic art. The inscription that was lost since gave information about the church's consecration in 951 by Bishop Genadio, around the time of the founding of the Kingdom of León. It was constructed on the site of a Visigothic church probably dedicated to Saint Michael. Overnight in Leon.