Covadonga is an important historical site in Spain due to the symbolism it represents for Spanish identity and history. It is known as the place where the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of Spain, began in 718.
According to legend, the Visigothic nobleman Pelayo led a group of Asturian warriors against the Moorish army of Tariq ibn Ziyad in the Battle of Covadonga. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Pelayo and his men managed to defeat the Moorish forces, marking the beginning of the Reconquista.
Pelayo's victory is considered a turning point in the history of Spain, as it was the first time that Moorish rule in Spain was challenged. The Asturian kingdom, emerging from Pelayo's triumph, became the first Christian state on the Iberian Peninsula and laid the foundation for the reconquest of Spain by the Christian kingdoms.