Yuso and Suso 

On the Rioja side of the Sierra de la Demanda, San Millán de la Cogolla is essentially the twin monasteries of Yuso and Suso, dedicated to the 6th-century Saint Emiliano. Suso is the older of the two, the oldest monastery in Spain, in fact, being Visigothic in origin, though it is usually considered Mozarab. It is also historically important because a codex from here is the earliest written example of both the Spanish and Basque languages. The codex is called the Glosas Emilianenses and is a series of glosses ('glosses' are the things that go to make up a 'glossary') on a Latin text, written by an anonymous monk about a thousand years ago, when San Millán would have belonged to the Kingdom of Navarre. Linguistic historians can spend happy, heated hours debating whether the Old Spanish used is Castilian or Aragonese, the latter being the current favourite. Suso is visitable but strictly conserved - vehicles are not allowed to approach and you have to walk up, but be sure to get your ticket first, entrance is not possible without it. Yuso is still a working Augustine monastery, and although you may read that "part of Yuso monastery has been converted into a hotel," the lodgings are strictly reserved for guests and groups of a religious, spiritual or pastoral nature. It can and should be visited, though. The link goes to the official website of Yuso Monastery.
Added on: 20-Aug-2008 | hits: 102
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