Monastery of El Escorial

Few buildings in Europe bring together as many functions under one roof as El Escorial. Royal palace, basilica, pantheon where the kings of Spain lie at rest, library, college and monastery coexist in a complex of more than thirty-three thousand square metres that sits on the southern slope of Mount Abantos, at just over a thousand metres above sea level, with the Sierra de Guadarrama as its backdrop. Small wonder that, from the late 16th century onwards, it became known as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Behind this colossal undertaking lies the will of a single man, Philip II, a prince with a Renaissance outlook who conceived the complex in the second half of the 16th century together with his architect, Juan Bautista de Toledo. Construction took place between 1563 and 1584, and figures such as Juan de Herrera, Juan de Minjares, Giovanni Battista Castello, known as il Bergamasco, and Francisco de Mora later played a part. The project, laid out according to the so-called Traza Universal, gave rise to the Herrerian style, which left behind the ornamentation of the Plateresque in favour of a sober, unadorned classicism.

But El Escorial is not just about architecture. Anyone exploring its rooms will discover a veritable museum: paintings, sculptures, choir books, parchments, liturgical vestments and all manner of sacred and courtly objects. Its rich and complex iconography has prompted the most varied interpretations among historians, admirers and critics alike, so a visit is also an invitation to decipher the symbols with which the king chose to imbue his creation.

The monastery, founded by Hieronymite monks, is now home to Augustinian friars, and for centuries the palace served as a residence of the royal family. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and managed by Patrimonio Nacional, it is one of the great sights of the Community of Madrid and one of the most remarkable examples of the Spanish and European Renaissance.