Our Lady of Covadonga. The Blessed Virgin Mary, and a Marian shrine devoted to her at Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga catholic church in Cangas de Onis, Picos de Europa, Asturias, Spain, Europe. In 1777 a fire destroyed the old temple, which stood adjacent to the Holy Cave where Our Lady of Covadonga is revered. It was then decided to raise a new church as a monumental sanctuary, raising donations from all of Spain; the plan was opposed by the local council, as the canons wanted to rebuild the temple of the Holy Cave and build an ambitious sanctuary that had once been designed by Ventura Rodríguez, but never completed. One century later, the project was resumed by King Alfonso XII of Spain, who was interested in completing this work. The classic design of Ventura Rodríguez was very difficult and expensive and was replaced by a new neo-Medieval design.