Alfonso II of Asturias

Alfonso II, called the Chaste (el Casto ) (* 761-768 in Oviedo, † 842 ), was 791-842 King of Asturias.

Alfonso was the son of the king Fruela I ( 757-768 ) and the Queen Munia, who came from Álava. After the death of his father he had been passed over because of his minority in the line of succession. In the year 783, his aunt, the Queen wanted to put him Adosinda ( widow of King Silo ), to the throne, but was instead Mauregato, a half-brother Adosindas prevail. But got 790 King Bermudo I. Alfonso to co-ruler, and abdicated as Bermudo in the following year, Alfonso came to power and was anointed king. It is the first church testified royal consecration in the Asturian kingdom.

In the fight against the Moors, Alfonso won at Lugo, penetrated to the Tajo before and for a short time conquered Lisbon. To 802 he was dethroned by a conspiracy and then kept for some time in a monastery in prison. But no later than 808 he could be brought by his followers returned to power. In the following years he fought successfully against the Moors. He tried the state through recourse to the Visigoth tradition to attach ( Neogotismus ). Oviedo he rose to the royal residence and founded the pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela. He died 842

Alfonso had no descendants. His vaunted by the chroniclers lifelong chastity, to which he owed his nickname, probably connected with the fact that he was already in his youth, under King Mauregato, had found a long time refuge in a convent, and there have been influenced by monasticism. With him died out of Alfonso I derived line of the royal house.

Source expenditure

• Yves Bonnaz ( eds): Chroniques asturiennes. Editions du CNRS, Paris, 1987, ISBN 2-222-03516-3 ( Latin text of the main sources with French translation and detailed commentary )
• Juan Gil Fernández ( eds.): Crónicas Asturianas. Oviedo, 1985, ISBN 84-600-4405- X ( Latin text and Spanish translation )