The monastic community founded by St Millán in the 6th century became a pilgrimage site. A Romanesque church was built at the original Suso site to honor St Millán, where the first literature in Castilian was produced. In the 16th century, the community moved to the new Yuso monastery below Suso. The Spanish language originated in these monasteries, which span important periods in Spanish history from Mozarabic to Baroque styles.

1. San Millán de la Cogolla
Suso & Yuso
Sara & Celia

2. SSTT.. MMIILLLLÁÁNN
The monastic community founded by St Millán in the mid-6th
century became a place of pilgrimage. A fine Romanesque
church built in honour of the holy man still stands at the site of
Suso. It was here that the first literature was produced in
Castilian, from which one of the most widely spoken languages
in the world today is derived. In the early 16th century the
community was housed in the fine new monastery of Yuso,
below the older complex; it is still a thriving community today.

3. HHiissttoorryy
In the mid-6th century the holy man Millán settled at a site,
now known as the Suso Monastery, on the flanks of the
Cogolla or Distercios hills.
After the church was damaged by fire in the early 11th
century it was restored by King Sancho the Great. At that time
the porch was extended and used as a church, changing the
orientation of the sacred building.

4. HHiissttoorryy
In the following century one of the caves next to the church
was converted into a chapel, to house the statue of San
Millán. It was in this monastery that Gonzalo de Berceo wrote
the first poems in Castilian during the 13th century in one of
the porticoes of the church.
King García Sanchez of Najera ordered the building of the
Yuso Monastery in 1503. This was followed by the two
cloisters and the sacristy. The north wall of the church was
rebuilt after collapsing in 1595. Finally, the square in front of
the monastery was completed in the 18th century.

5. The Spanish language was born in these monasteries and
they form an important part of the history of humanity.
Because of the identification and inter-relationship of the two
monasteries with elements of the Mozarabic, Visigothic,
medieval, Renaissance and Baroque styles, the architecture
and the natural landscape bring together highly significant
periods in the history of Spain.

6. During the lifetime of saint Millán a small monastery was
built on the hillside in Visigothic style. This was enlarged in
the 7th century by the construction of a porch or hall up
against the caves, in which to receive pilgrims. The church
was rebuilt in 929, during the reign of García Sanchez of
Navarre and Castille, in Mozarabic style and King Sancho
Abarca and his wife, Doña Urraca, attended its dedication
in 984.

7. UUNNEESSCCOO WWoorrlldd HHeerriittaaggee
T h e following sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage
List by the World Heritage Committee at its 21st session,
meeting in Naples, Italy, 1-6 December, 1997. A total of 46
sites were inscribed: 7 natural sites; 38 cultural sites; and 1
mixed site. The work of the 21st Session thus bring the total
number of sites on the World Heritage List to 552 (418
cultural, 114 natural and 20 mixed) in 112 States. 4 States
have sites on the World Heritage List for the first time:
Dominica, Estonia, Kenya, and Latvia