• The agreement with the monastery to recover its library has been renewed in a ceremony attended by the President of La Rioja and the President of the Fundación Iberdrola.
• The copies require immediate intervention due to their value and their current state.

06/07/2022

Fundación Iberdrola España and the Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla have renewed the collaboration agreement that will allow them to continue with the recovery of part of the collections of the Monastery of Yuso library.

After receiving the approval of the Augustinian Fathers, owners of the library, and the Commission of Artistic-Historical Heritage of La Rioja, this new agreement with the Fundación Iberdrola España will allow the restoration of six codices from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries that require urgent intervention due to their value and delicate state of conservation.

The director of Fundación Iberdrola España, Ramón Castresana, and the general coordinator of Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla, Almudena Martínez, signed the agreement at a ceremony this morning, in the presence of the president of La Rioja and of Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla, Concepción Andreu, the president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García, and the prior of the Monastery of Yuso, Pedro Merino.

Iberdrola, through its foundation, has been collaborating since 2012 for the recovery of documentary collections of the Monastery of Yuso, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 4, 1997, considered the cradle of the Spanish language for possessing one of the most important monastic libraries in the Hispanic sphere.

Since the Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla began the enormous task of restoring the library in 2003, nearly 400 volumes have already been restored. Specifically, over the last ten years, the Fundación Iberdrola España has collaborated in the restoration of a total of 46 highly valuable codices.

The selection of the set of codices has been made by Father Pedro Merino and Ana Jessen, in whose workshop the restoration will be carried out. The state of conservation is very varied; in general terms, the covers show damage resulting from loss of support due to use, poor handling, format, problems of dehydration of the skin and parchment, and general dirt and stains of unknown origin. The paper also shows deterioration caused by use, such as general soiling, humidity stains, losses, tears, deformations, and attacks by bibliophage insects.

Iberdrola has been collaborating with the Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla for several years, in which it has participated in projects such as the restoration of the latticework of the High Altar of the Monastery of Yuso and the refurbishment of the Exhibition Hall. Another collaboration agreement for the interior and exterior lighting of the Monastery was also completed.

Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla and the Monastery of Yuso and Suso

The purpose of the Fundación San Millán de la Cogolla is to protect and care for the monasteries of Suso and Yuso; to research, document, and disseminate the Spanish language; and to promote the social, economic, cultural, and tourist development of San Millán de la Cogolla and its surroundings.

It also acts as a cohesion agent for all administrations, institutions, associations, companies, and individuals committed to the protection and dissemination of this place, both nationally and internationally.

The Monasteries of Suso and Yuso in San Millán de la Cogolla (La Rioja) were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997 because they represent an exceptional testimony to the introduction of Christian monasticism in the 6th century and its continued survival to the present day, and for being the place where the first written manifestations of the Spanish language appeared.

Fundación Iberdrola with culture

Since its creation, Iberdrola has been committed to the energy, cultural and social development of the communities in which it is present. In this regard, Fundación Iberdrola España represents a further step in this commitment, by promoting initiatives that contribute to improving people’s quality of life. One of the Foundation’s main areas of action focuses on the care, maintenance, and promotion of art and culture.

This project is in addition to others that the company has carried out in recent years, including the illuminations of the facade of the Palacio de los Chapiteles in Logroño, the Monastery of Guadalupe, the Roman Bridge in Talavera de la Reina, and the Plaza Mayor in Sigüenza, among others, as well as exhibition projects such as El Prado en las Calles.