Birthday of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary: Covadonga Asturias, Spain 8 September 2010

Here are a couple of videos that I made while in Asturias a few years ago. Mary's birthday (The Feast of Our Lady of Covadonga) is also the national feast of the principality of Austurias and is celebrated big at the same Shrine of Our Lady. These bagpipe bands are typical of the entire northern coastal regions of Spain: they are called "Bandas de Gaitas."

The plaza statue seen in the second video is of Pelayo, the national hero who in 722 led the first victory (the Battle of Covadonga) in the Iberian reconquest against foreign occupation of the Moors.