Advertisement
Published: October 6th 2015
Edit Blog Post
Entrance to Suso
Some our out tour ahead 2 September 2015, Wednesday-rest day in Najera and trip to San Millan and monasteries
We take the regional bus up to San Millan de la Cogolia, a name given to an ensemble of a village and two monasteries. Its roots lie in the community which grew around the work of a sainted hermit named Millan (473-574) who spent his life devoted to prayer in caves in the mountainous area. Suso, Latin meaning "upwards," is the name for the older monastery, near the caves. Yuso, Latin meaning "downwards," is the name of the newer one at the bottom of the valley. The ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have only a few pictures from this day as there is no photography allowed in Yuso and they are adamant about enforcing this rule.
Suso was built between the 6th and 11thc and has vestiges of historic moments it has lived through. There are rock caverns where the hermits lived. The structure has remains of a Visigothic nature in the back. There is a beautiful Mozarabic arch with alabaster capitals that leads into the Mozarabic monastery, and lastly the Romanesque arches of the entry portico. The beautiful portico, overlooking the
Texture of the walkway
These rocks all turned on edge and wedged together to form a pavement valley, is mentioned by the first poet in the Spanish language.
Yuso is an eye candy knock-out compared with its companion on the hill! The lower cloister was begun in 1549 and the church in 1594.
Sacristy: this is the former chapter house. 18thc. ceiling frescos are original and have not been conserved as the alabaster floor maintains a temperature and humidity favorable for items in the room. There are walnut drawers and chests over which hang twenty-four oils painted on copper in the Baroque style. Yet the room is incredibly 'light.' The frescoes have enough empty space between them that one does not become overwhelmed.
I was particularly interested in the room that contains the books of Gregorian chants. The heavy books slide out for the monks to handle them. Heavy codices are likewise handled in this manner.
The main altar in the church depicts San Millan on horseback. The large painting is done "in the style of" Greco. There is extraordinary wrought ironwork in the church.The People's Vestibule is separated from the part where religious notables would be seated. A circle done in metal and gilted is called "coro bajo y ojo and the
Unesco World Heritage site plaque
Both Suso and Yuso are so designated light passes through the circle on the equinox. Again, the church has been characterized as "decadent Baroque" but it never goes "over the top" but stops when elegance has been reached.
This is the birthplace of the Spanish language. San Millan was a centre of power, political and cultural, in the Middle Ages. In its scriptorium, the first words in Spanish and Basque were written here. In the Emiliano Glosses, a monk translated the Latin text to the vulgar language. Currently researches have dated these 'additions' to the year 964.
We are weary of absorbing so much new knowledge and opt for a much earlier taxi ride down to Najara instead of waiting for the bus. Money well-spent!!
We return to the little restaurant since we are arriving later-Los Parrales. We have a lovely dinner and enjoy watching the chef chopping up pieces of meat he is going to use momentarily to please some discerning customer. Here is where we meet a delightful mother and daughter duo, Beverly Fest from Boulder, Colorado and her daughter, Joy, who is starting her fifth year of medical studies in Germany. Every summer break Joy has the two of them do
Now part of the Hotel
We went into the cafeteria to await our scheduled tours. a segment of the camino. We have kept in touch and treasure such serendipity encounters that has the camino as the common bond.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.045s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 33; dbt: 0.0204s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb