His place of birth, described as Vergegio in his Vita, which is identified with Berceo in La Rioja, close to the monastery he founded, which bears his name and conserves his relics.
According to his Vita, written by Braulius, bishop of Caesaraugusta (modern Zaragoza) roughly a hundred years after the saint's death, Emilianus was a shepherd who had a religious experience, perhaps around the age of twenty, which led him to decide to dedicate himself to God's service.