Napoleonic statue

The World is Out ThereThe Clavijo Battalion (Third Volunteers of the Provincial Regiment of León, known as “Batallón Clavijo”) consisted of 600 men forcibly recruited, mostly from Astorga and the surrounding Maragatería region. The battalion was formed of rural peasants, students, servants, and craftsmen, commanded by a few veteran soldiers and noncommissioned militia. The soldiers were distinguished from civilians by using simple rosettes and red ribbons. The battalion’s leaders knew about the medieval banner of Osorio, who according to legend had led Astorgan troops in the 9th-century victory over the Moors at Clavijo (the banner held was in the City Hall of Astorga), and requested to use it as the flag of the battalion. The battalion was integrated into the Army of Castile in the early days of the War of Independence and fought against Napoleon’s forces in the disastrous Battle of Medina de Rioseco in 1808. The inexperienced Spanish troops suffered a severe setback in their first major battle. However, the battalion fought with great courage defending the retreat of the Army of Castile, saving its artillery, and the banner that had been entrusted to them by the City Council of Astorga.