Vida de San Millán

Vida de San Millán is a work by Gonzalo de Berceo, a Spanish poet from the 13th century. Berceo was a secular priest associated with the Monastery of San Millán de Cogolla. He wrote religious poetry in Castilian Spanish to make religious learning accessible to common people.

Vida de San Millán (c. 1234), which translates to "Life of Saint Millán," is one of Berceo's notable works. In this poem, Berceo promotes a local saint, likely to encourage donations to his monastery. The poem is written in the cuaderna vía verse form, characterized by four-line stanzas with 14 syllables per line. While Berceo's verse is not considered highly poetic, it is appreciated for its simplicity, charm, and rustic imagery, offering insight into medieval thought.1