Podcast Summary: SER Historia – Cronovisor | Gonzalo de Berceo, el primer poeta castellano

Date: December 28, 2025
Host: Nacho Ares
Guests: Jesús Callejo (crononauta), Javier García Turza (profesor de Historia Medieval, Universidad de La Rioja)

Overview

This episode of SER Historia, broadcast from the evocative setting of the Scriptorium de Albelda in La Rioja, delves into the life and legacy of Gonzalo de Berceo, recognized as the first known Castilian poet. Through engaging conversation, the hosts and their guest historian unravel Berceo’s pivotal role in the birth of written Castilian, the significance of monastic scriptoria in medieval knowledge transmission, and the creative and cultural vibrancy of the High Middle Ages in Spain. The tone is dynamic, informative, and warm, successfully demystifying one of Spain’s foundational literary figures.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Setting: Enigmatic Scriptoria and Birth of Castilian

• The episode is set in an ancient rupestrian hermitage, described as a place “repleta de enigmas, de misterios” (filled with enigmas and mysteries) ([00:50]).
• The hosts reflect on how such spaces were not only cradles for the earliest forms of Castilian language but also critical centers for the transfer and preservation of classical and religious knowledge ([00:50-01:39]).

Gonzalo de Berceo: From Scriptorium to First Poet

• Berceo, associated closely with San Millán de la Cogolla, is highlighted as “el primer poeta castellano del que tenemos nombre” (the first Castilian poet whose name we know) ([01:39]).
• Breakthrough: Berceo writes in the “román paladino,” moving away from Latin to make religious stories accessible to the populace ([01:39-02:39]).
• His works, notably the “milagros de Nuestra Señora,” blend the natural and the supernatural in a way that's “tan accesible...como si fuera un pequeño cuento para niños, pero no era para niños...era sencillamente dar a conocer que aquellos que invocaban a la Virgen tendrían las puertas del cielo abiertas.” ([03:43])

“El gran mérito de Gonzalo de Berceo en ese siglo XIII es precisamente hacer accesible lo que en principio solo estaba destinado para unos pocos.”
— Jesús Callejo ([01:39])

The Chronovisor: A Literary Birth Certificate

• The “chronovisor” is set to March 22, 1221 – a date chosen for its historical resonance as the moment Berceo signs with his own name ([05:04-05:49]).
• Emphasis on the uniqueness of Berceo as an author who signs his work, contrasting with the anonymity typical of the "mester de juglaría" ([05:49]).
• Insight into the community of workers in a scriptorium, noting the specialization involved (writers, illuminators, etc.) ([06:35]).

Context: Monastic Knowledge, Rise of Universities, and Intellectual Shifts

• Medieval monasteries like San Millán, Albelda, and Cluny are cast as “emporios del conocimiento” (emporiums of knowledge), vital for preserving manuscripts before the invention of the printing press ([12:01]).
• Transition from monastic to university culture: The creation of universities (like Palencia and Salamanca) was driven as much by religious-political interests as by intellectual ones ([14:10]).

“Toda la cultura, mejor, todo el conocimiento... se trata de conservar, pase lo que pase, en algún sitio. Y el sitio idóneo por excelencia... va a ser precisamente los centros monásticos.”
— Javier García Turza ([08:48])

The Literary Marketing of Sanctity

• Berceo writes about local saints, notably those with connections to the monasteries, as a form of “marketing” to attract pilgrims, donations, and prestige, rather than focusing on “universal” saints ([17:07-18:30]).
• The poetic qualities in Berceo’s work made his verses easy to recite and remember, aiding their spread ([18:30]).

Manuscripts as Early Encyclopedias

• Discussion of the extraordinary richness of the Códice Albeldense, which houses historical, civil, and ecclesiastical law, mathematical knowledge, and even Islamic history ([19:42-21:50]).
• Medieval knowledge transmission is compared to modern “Wikipedia” and even artificial intelligence, with a reflection on the recursive nature of knowledge: “Esto es una base de datos que no cambia con el paso del tiempo.” ([25:30-25:37])

“Hoy tenemos la Wikipedia o la inteligencia artificial, que todavía es más peligrosa si no se sabe utilizar.”
— Javier García Turza ([25:37])

Imagination and the Unknown World

• Medieval bestiaries and cosmographies often mixed imagination with observation, filling in the blanks of the unknown with creative speculation ([27:26-28:30]).
• The notion that much of what’s preserved is “copia de copia de copia,” underscoring the importance—and limitations—of manuscript survival ([23:27]).

Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• On Berceo’s Language Innovation:
  “El gran mérito de Gonzalo de Berceo... es hacer accesible lo que en principio solo estaba destinado para unos pocos...”
  — Jesús Callejo ([01:39])

• On Scriptorium Labor:
  “No solo una misma persona escribía, copiaba o iluminaba... había todo un equipo y cada uno encargado de una responsabilidad y de una especialidad.”
  — Jesús Callejo ([06:35])

• Marketing and Literature:
  “A él le interesa más... los santos locales... Esto va por modas, pero por cuestión de marketing.”
  — Javier García Turza ([17:08])

• On Manuscript Transmission:
  “Esto es una base de datos que no cambia con el paso del tiempo.”
  — Javier García Turza ([25:37])

• On Medieval Knowledge:
  “¿Sabes a qué me ha recordado Javier este Código Albeldense? Porque en el fondo es un compendio de todo el conocimiento que había en aquel momento.”
  — Jesús Callejo ([25:04])

• Bestiaries and Medieval Fantasy:
  “Las personas tienen un pie y un brazo... porque la imaginación al poder. Viva la imaginación.”
  — Javier García Turza ([28:10])

Important Timestamps

• [00:50] — On the scriptoria’s mystical legacy and cultural importance
• [01:39] — Introduction to Gonzalo de Berceo and his contributions
• [05:04] — Setting the “chronovisor” to 1221, highlighting authorship
• [08:48] — Prof. García Turza contextualizes monastic knowledge preservation
• [14:10] — Discussion on the rise of universities and educational shifts
• [19:42] — The Códice Albeldense’s richness and the legacy of Arabic numerals
• [25:30] — Manuscripts, their encyclopedic role, and modern parallels
• [27:26] — How medieval scribes filled gaps in their knowledge with imagination

Memorable Moments

• The energetic discussion around how monks, by copying and illuminating manuscripts, saved huge portions of classical and medieval knowledge for future generations ([12:01-13:00]).
• The playful connection made between Berceo’s literary “marketing” and the modern concept of influencers ([17:07-18:00], [30:30]).
• The lighthearted remark about Berceo being the earliest “influencer” for queso camerano (local cheese) ([30:30]).

Conclusion

The episode vibrantly brings to life the medieval world of Gonzalo de Berceo, showing how a secular cleric’s decision to write in vernacular Castilian democratized access to spiritual narratives—and how scriptoria functioned as medieval “servers” of knowledge. The interplay between local pride, literary craft, and the slow evolution from monastic to university-based learning provides a rich tapestry of cultural heritage, explored with charisma and scholarly insight. The conversation closes by reminding listeners of the hidden gems of regional history and the perennial value of knowledge transmission—be it by manuscript, print, or podcast.