Battle of Clavijo

The Battle of Clavijo was a legendary battle that never took place, reportedly fought near Clavijo between the Spanish Christians led by Ramiro I of Asturias, and the Muslims led by the Emir of Córdoba. In the legend Saint James Matamoros, known to Spaniards as Santiago Matamoros (the Moor-slayer) suddenly appeared and aided a vastly outnumbered Christian army. Aspects of the historical Battle of Monte Laturce (859) were incorporated into this legend, as Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz demonstrated in 1948. The date originally assigned to the battle, 834, was changed in modern times to suit the inherent contradictions of the account.

The legend as it survives was first written down in the twelfth century on a spurious charter. A forged grant to the Church of Santiago de Compostela by which Ramiro reportedly surrendered a part of the annual tribute owed him by all the Christians of Spain also dates from the mid-twelfth century. The history of the cult of Saint James is rich in such frauds, but has provided one of the strongest ideological icons in the Spanish national identity.

Gallery
Saint James' appearance at Clavijo has been a major theme in art. Among those artists who portrayed him there are Aniello Falcone, Paolo da San Leocadio, Evaristo Muñoz, Mateo Pérez de Alesio, Martin Schongauer, Corrado Giaquinto, and Antonio González Ruiz.