The Cross of Peñalba is a 10th-century votive cross given by

Ramiro II of Leon Ramiro is a Spanish and Portuguese name. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Ramiro I of Asturias (c. 790–850), king of Asturias * Ramiro II of León (c. 900–951), king of Leon * Ramiro III of León (961–985), king of Leo ...

Genadio of Astorga Genadio of Astorga, San Genadio or popularly San Juanacio (c. 865, possibly El Bierzo, León - 936, Peñalba de Santiago) was a Spanish Benedictine monk, hermit and bishop of Astorga between 899 and 920. He also founded several monasteries in El B ...

, abbot of the monastery of

Santiago de Peñalba , native_name_lang = , image = Arcos de herradura en la iglesia de Santiago de Peñalba.jpg , imagelink = , imagealt = , landscape = , caption = , pushpin map ...

, in gratitude for the assistance of

St James Saint James or St. James may refer to: People Saints *James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just *James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater **Saint James Matamoro ...

in the Battle of Simancas in 939 against

Abd-ar-Rahman III ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥakam al-Rabdī ibn Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Dākhil () or ʿAbd al-Rahmān III (890 - 961), was the Umayyad Emir of Córdoba from 912 to 92 ...

. Today, the Cross of Peñalba is reclaimed as one of the main symbols of identity for the region of El Bierzo, prominently featured at the center of its coat of arms and flag.

Bibliography

*García Gómez, Emilio (1950). ''Una Crónica anónima de Abd al-Rahman III al-Nasir.'' Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. *Sánchez-Albornoz, Claudio (1969). ''León y su historia: miscelánea histórica. Tomo I.'' Centro de Estudios e Investigación San Isidoro/Patronato José María Cuadrado. *Grau Lobo, Luis A. (1993). ''Cruz votiva de Santiago de Peñalba.'' Instituto de Estudios Bercianos/Museo de León. *Rodríguez Fernández, Justiniano (1998). ''Ramiro II, rey de León.'' La Olmeda. *Menéndez Pidal, Marcelino (2011). ''Historia de España.'' El Buey Mudo.

References

10th-century sculptures Penalba {{RC-stub