The Cathedral of San Salvador — formally the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour — is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica standing at the heart of Oviedo, in the Asturias region of northern Spain. Ordered built by King Alfonso II, a descendant of the legendary Reconquista warrior-king Pelayo, the cathedral has anchored the city's spiritual and cultural identity for over a millennium. Beneath the main nave lies the Camara Santa, a pre-Romanesque holy chamber recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of Spain's most venerated religious treasures. Gates drove roughly 50 miles from Covadonga to Oviedo specifically to examine what is described as the only known artifact associated with the legendary King Pelayo — the Cross of Victory, said to be the simple wooden cross Pelayo carried into battle, later gilded and decorated with 152 jewels by his descendant King Alfonso III. The cathedral sits in a region that, as Gates observed on camera, bears the cultural fingerprints of Celts, Romans, and Visigoths alike, making it as much a historical palimpsest as a place of worship.
King Pelayo reportedly carries a wooden cross into the Battle of Covadonga, the legendary origin of the Cross of Victory, according to tradition
Cathedral of San Salvador ordered built by King Alfonso II, a descendant of Pelayo, in the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias
King Alfonso III reportedly gilded the wooden cross and decorated it with 152 jewels, creating the ornate Cross of Victory now housed in the Camara Santa
The Camara Santa and surrounding pre-Romanesque monuments of Oviedo recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Gates investigates the Cross of Victory in S12E06 of Expedition Unknown, gaining rare access to the Camara Santa with journalist and historian Olalla Pena
Journalist and historian Olalla Pena, who arranged rare access to the Camara Santa for Gates' camera crew, served as his guide through the cathedral's underground treasury. She explained that the cathedral itself was ordered built by King Alfonso II as a monument to his ancestor Pelayo's legacy, and that according to legend, the Cross of Victory is the very cross Pelayo carried at Covadonga — the battle credited with launching the Christian Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula. Pena was careful with her language throughout, consistently attributing the relic's significance to legend rather than documented history.
Mainstream historians generally regard Pelayo as a real historical figure — a Visigoth noble who rallied resistance against the Umayyad invasion in the early 8th century — but the details surrounding the Battle of Covadonga are heavily embellished by medieval chronicle tradition. The Cross of Victory itself is not disputed as an artifact; what is debated is whether the wooden core predates the gilding commissioned by Alfonso III around the late 9th century, and whether any direct connection to Pelayo can be established through the archaeological or documentary record.
The Camara Santa is one of the best-preserved pre-Romanesque sacred spaces in Europe, and its collection — including the Cross of Victory and the Sudarium of Oviedo (a cloth venerated as connected to Christ's burial) — draws serious scholarly attention as well as pilgrims on the Camino Primitivo. The UNESCO designation recognizes the monument's outstanding universal value as a rare example of Asturian pre-Romanesque art and architecture.
Gates' episode did not resolve the question of the cross's authentic age or battlefield provenance — and to the show's credit, it didn't pretend to. The investigation's value lies in the rare visual access it provided to the Camara Santa and in Gates' candid framing: the Cross of Victory occupies the same category as Excalibur, a relic whose symbolic power is indisputable even where the historical record remains frustratingly thin.
The Cross of Victory is said to have been gilded and adorned with 152 jewels by King Alfonso III, reportedly centuries after Pelayo allegedly carried the original wooden cross into battle at Covadonga.
The cathedral was ordered built by King Alfonso II, a descendant of Pelayo, making it a dynastic monument as much as a place of worship.
Oviedo sits on the Camino Primitivo — believed to be the original Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route — meaning the cathedral has welcomed pilgrims for over a thousand years.
The region around Oviedo has been occupied at various times by Celts, Romans, and Visigoths, all of whom left cultural traces that Gates noted are still felt in the city today.
The Cathedral of San Salvador is generally open to visitors in the center of Oviedo, with the Camara Santa accessible as part of the cathedral's museum circuit — though access to the holy chamber may be restricted during religious services or special events, so checking current hours before visiting is advisable. The treasury holds the Cross of Victory and other pre-Romanesque relics, making it a significant stop for both history enthusiasts and pilgrims walking the Camino Primitivo, one of the original routes of the Camino de Santiago.
Oviedo, Asturias — the cathedral stands in the city center, approximately 50 miles from Covadonga.
Spring and early autumn tend to offer mild weather in Asturias with smaller crowds than the peak summer pilgrimage season. July and August bring the most visitors, particularly those completing the Camino Primitivo, so earlier in the year is generally quieter for exploring the cathedral at a relaxed pace.
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias, inscribed 1985, extended 1998)
La Garma Cave
La Garma Cave is another site in northern Spain with deep pre-historical and archaeological significance investigated in the Gates universe, connecting through the broader Iberian Peninsula investigative thread.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem appears in Gates' investigations of sacred relics and biblical-era artifacts, paralleling the Camara Santa's status as a treasury of venerated Christian objects whose authenticity is debated by historians.
Rome
Rome connects thematically as a center of early Christian history and the institutional authority behind many of the relics and sacred traditions Gates investigates across Europe.
Historical data sourced from Wikipedia