Suso Monastery, San Millán de la Cogolla

The monastery of San Millán de Suso or monastery of Suso is located near the town of San Millán de la Cogolla, in the autonomous community of La Rioja, on the left bank of the river Cárdenas. It is part of the monumental complex of two monasteries, together with another one built later and located further down, called the Monastery of San Millán de Yuso, both declared World Heritage Sites.

Its construction began at the end of the 6th century, and has its origin in a Visigothic monastery established around the tomb of the hermit Aemilianus or Emiliano, who died in 574. Throughout the following centuries and until the 12th century it underwent various extensions as a result of the change from hermit life to monastic and later monastic life, distinguishing in them the Mozarabic and Romanesque styles. Its importance is not only artistic and religious, but also linguistic and literary. Here a monk wrote the Glosas Emilianenses, which were explanatory annotations in the margins of the pages written in Latin. These annotations were written in Romance. The first annotations written in Basque appear in this monastery, which is why it has been considered the cradle of these Hispanic romances and of the Basque language. The monk and first known poet in Castilian, Gonzalo de Berceo, also lived here.

Also the tradition attributes that in the "portaliello" of this monastery are those that happen to be the sarcophagi of the seven infants of Lara of the legend.