La Rioja placed the
fertility of its soils and the vivacity of its inhabitants at the
service of the pilgrims' road to Santiago de Compostela, as well as
feeding on all the wisdom and spirituality brought by the pilgrims
from Europe. This vitality was well expressed by a devout cleric from
Berceo, who wrote the first eulogy to the wine of La Rioja in Castilian
verse. It is no surprise that the powerful neighbouring kingdoms of
Castile, Navarre and Arag6n fell in love with La Rioja, in the manner
of a jealous or spiteful, but always passionate lover. At times they
have burnt it or knocked it down, and at others they have regaled
it with jewels, such as the knights' cloister in Santa Marfa de Najera
or the entire city of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. All those who are
proud of the Spanish tongue feel a thrill when visiting or remembering
the monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla, which guards among its
codices the oldest written testimony of the Spanish language.
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