The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, has approved the execution of the emergency works in the Monastery of Suso, in San Millán de la Cogolla (La Rioja). The project, provided by the Ministry of Culture with an investment of 4,515,954 euros, foresees an execution period of 24 months and will be carried out by the Institute of Cultural Heritage of Spain (IPCE).
The proposal for intervention has been declared an emergency due to the current structural instability of the building which, added to the persistent water leaks, increased by recent torrential rains that occurred in La Rioja, compromise the structural integrity of the monastic complex, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, and considered as the cradle of the Castilian language.
The works will focus on a twofold objective: on the one hand, on the elimination of the building’s foci of moisture and the diversion of the surface water from the environment to achieve adequate indoor environmental conditions; and on the other, on the structural consolidation of the building and the land on which it sits and adosa.
In order to protect the building from water leaks during the course of the work, a temporary cover will be installed that will be removed once the tightness of the assembly is guaranteed. The works will involve acting on the roofs of the set and other constructive elements affected by pathological processes, with special attention to the active structural movements present in the wall, arch and sole structures.
Given the nature of the property affected, the actions will be based on a deep knowledge of the building, including the development of non-invasive diagnostic tests, monitoring of structural movements, research and archaeological monitoring, and characterization of materials, among others. These studies will be added to those carried out by the IPCE so far: a photogrammetric survey of the building and a geophysical and geological study of the environment.
Monasteries of Suso and Yuso
The Suso Monastery preserves the original temple and caves. Documented since the 8th century, although possibly built in the second half of the 6th century as a cave chapel in the life of San Millán (473-574), the monastery survived Islamic domination and received important donations, especially from the Navarran kings. In 1067, Sancho the Noble consecrated the new church of the Yuso Monastery, leaving Suso as a place of devotion.
The monastic ensemble of San Millán de la Cogolla, formed by the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, and stands out for its religious and cultural impact in La Rioja and Navarra, and its link with the origin of monastic life in Spain and the Castilian language. The glosas in primitive Spanish of the 10th century are one of the first testimonies of the language.