The Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla
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Yuso and Suso, the Monasteries of San Millán
The Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla are, without a doubt, one of the most special and historic visits that a tourist can make in La Rioja, and probably in the entire Spanish territory. It is made up of two independent monasteries: “San Millán de Suso”, the oldest monastery and founded by San Millán himself. a hermit who lived between the years 473 to 574 and “San Millán de Yuso”, more modern and projected from the 11th century onwards by his followers in the same town of San Millán de la Cogolla. In Yuso you will find Hostería San Millán.
In addition to its history, the art that hides behind its walls and the dozens of legends that have grown throughout its more than a thousand years of history, the Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla are a unique place in the world because they collect the first evidence of the birth of Castilian and Basque in the famous “Glosas Emilianenes”, annotations in romance in the margins of pages written in Latin, and for being the place of residence of the monk and first poet with a known name in Castilian, Gonzalo de Berceo .
“We believe that your experience at Hostería San Millán will be much more special if you know the history of these monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla, where the hotel is located, so on this page you will always have information so that you do not miss anything during your stay”
Before starting the history of the monasteries, who was San Millán?
Millan was a shepherd from the area who at a very early age felt the need to lead a hermit and penitent life, at which point he became a disciple of the hermit Felix. Years after this decision and having learned this type of “eremitic” life, he returns to his town to enter the Distercios mountains.
He spent forty-four years there in absolute solitude until the bishop called him and entrusted him with the parish of Santa Eulalia in his hometown of Berceo. He finally decides to return to his solitude. He retires to the Suso Valley, and there begins his true story along with the community of faithful that is forming around his figure.
“This group of followers, after the death of Millán, founded the great monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla. Within its walls they venerate the remains of the saint until they are transferred to the new church of Yuso in 1076 where they have been resting almost a thousand years, until today”
The “Glosas Emilianensis”, a treasure that houses the first written evidence of Castilian
The Glosas Emilianenses are the first written evidence of an early Castilian language. They are marginal notes written next to Latin texts where a monk uses these notes (or glosses) to understand the grammar and clarify the meanings.
The Romance language of these annotations were found, making this document the first proof that the people expressed themselves in a language that moved away from Latin. A primitive Castilian had been born.
These Glosses also have the added interest of including two annotations in Basque, this being the first known written testimony of this language.
“He is the first representative of the so-called “mester de clerecía”, a medieval school of men of letters (a qualification that at that time almost coincided with that of priest) whose main contribution was the dissemination of Latin culture. Berceo inaugurated the path of scholarly poetry, in contrast to that developed by popular epic poetry and that of minstrels.”
Stay between the walls that housed Gonzalo De Berceo
The figure of Gonzalo de Berceo is key in the history of Castilian. He was the first poet in the Spanish language with a known name. He was a clergyman and lived in the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, where he was ordained a priest, and in that of Santo Domingo de Silos.
His works, written in caaderna via (stanza of four monorhyme Alexandrian verses) as was usual in the “mester”, are strictly religious and are usually classified into three groups: lives of saints, Marian works and works with a broader religious theme, of doctrinal type.
“Yuso and Suso, discover everything about the two Monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla, two visits that you cannot miss during your stay”
Suso Monastery
A jewel of heritage
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Yuso Monastery
Discover its charm
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