A bit more: the support of the Academy Real Already into 1997, and on the 1st of February the Spanish Academy Real confered its support to the riojan proposal. The monasteries supported in the language to obtain the award from Unesco, for this decision of the the Academy was indispensible. The great institution unanimously approved to adher to the campaign promoted by Diario LA RIOJA, it attributed to an important backing at the regional executive. The 1st of February the Spanish Academy Real conferred its support to the riojan candidature which attributed to an important backing to the initiative of the region executive. The following triumph was produced on the 3rd of March of this same year. San Millán passed the first important test: the National Committee of Icons (an independant consulting organisation of Unesco) recognised the "exceptionality and universal value of the monasteries". After the support of Icons - Spain, the following step was to obtain the backing of other hispanic speaking countries. The 7th of May San Millán received the support of twenty five of these countries. Their representatives signed and sealed in the riojan monastery the "Declaration of San Millán", in whose letters enclosed the support dedicated to the Emilianense candidature. On the 23rd of June San Millán faced it´s first international exam. Experts on icons and members of Unesco analysed in Paris all the candidates. If the experts found defects in the riojan proposal it would fall from the list: if Suso and Yuso surpassed this filter with success, it´s candidature would come out much stronger. At last on the 30th of June the result was affirmed. "Approved". The icon experts recognised on the 3rd of August the merits of San Millán to be the Heritage of Humanity. The riojan monasteries passed then to the second international exam with the meeting of the members of Icons, held in Brazil. The last reunion of international icons, in this case in Morocco on the 21st of November, left San Millan to the view of sentencing. Now the council of World Heritage of Unesco had the decision and it took until Decemder to know it. Now it was in the final straight. |
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After more than a year and a half, fighting that the monasteries would be declared a Heritage, gathering support in defence of the craddle of Castilian, obtaining the highest support, in December ,the riojan retinue, was transferred to Naples to know the sentence which had been given, only to have to wait one more day. Against all predictions, Unesco postponed their decision. At last on the 4th of December, at five in the afternoon, the international institution decided without any discussion, to confer on the monasteries of Suso and Yuso the highest distinction possible. To incorporate them on the list of world heritage. The president of the riojan government, Pedro Sanz, after knowing the news gave thanks for the award in the name of the 400 million hispanic speakers. At the same time, in the valley of Cárdenas the bells rung out to announce the good news and riojans joined in a joyful and proud toast, accompanied with Rioja wine. The news was one of the best received at the newspaper Diario LA RIOJA, and so they gathered to toast and celebrate in the editing room with champagne and cakes. No less. |
