San Millán de la Cogolla

Municipality in Spain

42°10′N 2°52′W / 42.167°N 2.867°W / 42.167; -2.867Country SpainAutonomous community La RiojaProvinceLa RiojaComarcaNájeraGovernment • MayorMaría Pilar Mendoza Martínez (PSOE)Area • Total31.19 km² (12.04 sq mi)Elevation728 m (2,388 ft)Population • Total222 • Density7.1/km² (18/sq mi)DemonymEmilianensesTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal codeWebsitehttp://www.sanmillandelacogolla.es

San Millán de la Cogolla (Spanish pronunciation: [sam miˈʎan de la koˈɣoʎa]) is a sparsely populated municipality in La Rioja, (Spain). The village is famous for its twin monasteries, Yuso and Suso (Monasterio de San Millán de Yuso and Monasterio de San Millán de Suso), which were declared a World Heritage Site in 1997. There were 293 inhabitants registered in 2009, the population having fallen significantly during the twentieth century.

San Millán has a claim to being the birthplace of the Spanish language.^[2] The area is Spanish-speaking but some of the local place-names are of Basque origin, and there is evidence that Basque was spoken locally a thousand years ago (see Glosas Emilianenses).

Jews were living here as early as at Nájera, and they suffered greatly in the civil war between Peter of Castile and Henry II of Castile. On October 15, 1369, at the request of the directors of the small aljama of San Millán, whose cause was advocated by "certain Jews who were received at court," Henry II of Castile ordered that "the Christian men and women and the Moorish men and women" should immediately discharge all their debts to the Jews, "that the last-named might be able to pay their taxes the more promptly." On September 10, 1371, however, the king released the abbot and all the monks of San Millán from whatever debts they had contracted with the Jews since the Battle of Nájera.^[3]

Etymology

In a papal bull from 1199 where Privileges were granted to the monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla it appears with the name Coculla, which comes from the Latin word cuculla, small hill, hilltop; this word is typically used for high sites and those of defensive nature, coming from the times of the Reconquista.^[4] The other part of the name is taken from a 6th-century saint (Saint Emilianus or San Millán) who lived here.

Politics

List of mayors since the democratic elections of 1979

Term	Mayor	Political Party
1979–1983	Santiago Lerena Alesanco	UCD
1983–1987	Santiago Lerena Alesanco	AP
1987–1991	Millán Ángel Baltanás Lorenzo	PSOE
1991–1995	Millán Ángel Baltanás Lorenzo	PSOE
1995–1999	Eladio Cañas Ureta	PR
1999–2003	Eladio Cañas Ureta	PP
2003–2007	Eladio Cañas Ureta	PP
2007–2011	María Pilar Mendoza Martínez	PSOE
2011–2015	María Pilar Mendoza Martínez	PSOE
2015–2019	Raquel Fernández Tejerina	PP
2019–2023	n/d	n/d
2023–	n/d	n/d

Notable people

• Juan de San Millán
• Antonio Segura
• María de la O Lejárraga
• Leandro Nieto Bolandier
• Joaquín Peña
• Tarsicio Lejárraga

See also

• Aurea of San Millán
• Monasteries of San Millán

References