Last 16 to 19 of February the first advisory meeting of thematic character was held in Paris with a theme on sustainable management of the assets included in the List of World Patrimony which possess values of religious importance as central topic. In this meeting San Millan de la Cogolla was represented by the general director of Culture and Tourism of La Rioja, Eduardo Rodriguez Oses and the general coordinator of the Foundation San Millan de la Cogolla, Almudena Martinez.
The aim of this first meeting celebrated in Paris has been in choosing a series of exemplar models in preparation of a wider study that would serve in the orientation of management of these places and whose experiences would also serve as guide. The models chosen from Spain were the Monasteries of San Millan de la Cogolla and the Cathedral of Sevilla.
Besides, this thematic study is focused in this category to understand better the nature of these places in which its patrimonial value coexist with its religious use.
List of World Patrimony of UNESCO
Within the list of World Patrimony of UNEWSCO approximately 20 % of these assets are of religious or spiritual importance from various cultures and traditions from around the world. Included in this list are the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso de San Millan de la Cogolla, which for 137 years have been attended spiritually by the Order of the Augustinian Recollects.
The OAR presence in San Millan de la Cogolla
A dozen of Augustinian Recollects friars which normoally compose the community of Monastery of Yuso, have been working for several years in the protection, restoration and dissemination of the monasteries taking care of protecting its spiritual dimension and have kept as well the spiritual life of the Monastery of Yuso, as seat of the Order, as well as in its capacity as parish for the people of San Millan de la Cogolla.
The OAR presence in the area is not only limited in attending the monasteries. Besides, several of the friars, are parish priests in different places of the area and they attend spiritually the people living in the Valle de San Millan. This presence is a key element in maintaining the spiritual identity of the people in the area and to conserve the immaterial patrimony brought about by it, which is shown in the celebration of local feasts of cultural and spiritual significance like the Feast of the Traslacion, The Feast of San MIllan, of St. Gertrude, St. Rita, St. Augustine, St. Isidore, Pilgrimage of the Saint and the pilgrimage to Valvanera.
Presently the monasteries of Suso and Yuso of San Millan de la Cogolla offer a cultural attraction that satisfies the aspirations of the visitor who feels at the same challenged by a way of life lived in history, that left its marks and continues springing out even nowadays new ways of reflection and well-being from the perspective of faith.
According to Fray Pedro Merino, augustinian recollect and prior of San Millan, “the most challenging pastoral mission is laid out at the moment in offering the faith to the visitors of the monastery, who most often are strangers to the dimension of religion, find themselves in the monastery a sense of meaning from the life of the hermit san Millan and the circle of friends who lived with him in Suso”.
With regards to the challenges and hopes for the monasteries, Fray Pedro Merino emphasizes that for the year 2016 they want that the offering would be “clearest and suggestive as possible, in order to awaken and rekindle in the visitor the sense of the transcendent and religious” . Example to this are the nocturnal visits which was started three years ago as a novelty, with a format which is more interactive, in which what is intended to do is that the visitor is not contented in passively going around the spaces and see the art, painting or architecture, but rather, be surprised by silence, music and wrapped in an atmosphere of mystery and faith, they feel attracted to reflect on what is life.