Spain is crowded with the most extraordinary and magical sights. Escorial is one of them. This is the famous palace, residence and monastery of King Philip II of Spain. This landmark is located at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama, which is one hour's drive from the Spanish capital city. The building is shocking with its size and scale. Some scientists even put this structure on a par with the grandiose pyramid complex in Giza. The Escorial Palace Monastery was erected in honor of the victory of Spain in the Battle of Saint-Quentin. Then the forces of the empire defeated the French army. This architectural ensemble includes a library, a pantheon and a palace.
The history of the sight
Spain is proud of many ancient sites. Escorial also belongs to such attractions. It leads its history from the end of the summer of 1557. Just at that moment, the army of Philip II defeated the troops of France in the aforementioned battle. The battle took place on the day of St. Lorenzo. Therefore, the king decided to build a monastery in honor of this saint. The palace ensemble was to embody the strength and steadfastness of the Spanish monarchy and arms of the country. The complex was supposed to remind of the great victory in Saint-Quentin. Gradually, the scale of construction became increasingly large, respectively, the importance of the palace grew.
Spain honors the covenants of its monarchs. Escorial was to fulfill the commandment of Charles V - to create a large dynastic pantheon and make it one with the monastery and the royal palace. The stone of the structure was supposed to show the political theory of absolutism in Spain.
Philip II sent two of his best architects, two stonecutters and as many scientists to find a place to build a monastery. But it had to be not simple, but special: not extremely cold, not very hot, and it had to be located near the new capital. Searches continued for a year, and in the end, the territory on which the object is located today was chosen. This is one of the most interesting facts about Escorial.
The mission of the monastery
From all the other monarchs of King Philip II, he was distinguished by his love for St. Lorenzo, self-absorption, sadness, poor health and great piety. The king for a long time was looking for a place where he could relax and not worry about the pressing problems that prevailed in the largest empire in the world. Philip II wanted to be surrounded not by personal subjects and courtiers, but by monks. Escorial became such a refuge.
Spain, the sights of which we are considering, is generally rich in various monasteries. Escorial was to play the role of not only the residence of the king, but also - and most importantly - the monastery for the Order of St. Jerome.
The monarch said that he wanted to build first of all a palace for the Lord, and only then - a shack for himself. Philip did not want his biography to be written during his lifetime. He decided to write it on his own and capture it not in plain paper, but in stone. Thus, the victories and defeats of Spain, the chronology of misfortunes and deaths, the royal dedication to art, prayers and teachings, as well as the management of the empire were displayed in Escorial. The central location of the cultural monument embodies the ruler’s faith that religious considerations should be followed in politics.
Building
It was Spain that placed the most outstanding architectural masterpieces on its territory. Escorial is an incomparable proof of this. The first stone in its foundation was laid in 1563. Construction work has been ongoing for 21 years. The architect was a student of Michelangelo Juan Bautista de Toledo. In 1569, Juan de Herrera became the new architect. It was he who took up the final finishing work. The ensemble is an object of almost square shape, in the center of which is a church. A monastery was located in the south wing of the complex, and the palace with a huge courtyard occupied the northern part.
King Philip carefully monitored the design and construction of Escorial. The architectural style was of incredible importance to him. So, the building belongs to the archaized Renaissance architecture. Thus, the monarch tried to emphasize the European significance of his state and the separation from the past of the Middle Ages.
Interesting facts about the interior
Escorial Palace and Monastery (Spain) is distinguished by its chic interior decoration. The best materials were used to create it. And all the work was done by the best builders and craftsmen. Wood carvings were performed in Cuenca and Avila, an order for sculptural sculptures was sent to Milan, and marble was delivered from Arsena. In Zaragoza, Toledo and Flanders made silver and bronze ware.
Modern Escorial
Escorial Castle Monastery (Spain) is a very complex ensemble. In addition to the monastery itself, it has a cathedral, a theological school and a palace. If you describe this attraction in numbers, it has more than 16 courtyards, 86 stairs, one thousand windows facing outward, and a half thousand windows facing inward. The perimeter of the building reaches seven hundred meters. Huge blocks of gray granite were used to erect the walls of the complex. They give the design both a sad and a majestic look.
The luxurious decoration of the interior and all other objects smooths the external severity of the attraction. The walls of the chambers are decorated with paintings and frescoes, sculptures and antiques.
A little bit about the premises
Escorial Castle in Spain has many wonderful rooms. Let us consider briefly the most interesting of them. For example, personal royal chambers. You can find them on the third floor. They are distinguished by their emphasized modesty of decoration. The bedroom has a small window overlooking the church. Since the king suffered from gout, he could, without leaving his room, attend the service.
The tomb of Escorial, or Pantheon, is the place where all the monarchs of Spain rest.
Gorgeous and chic is the library. By the number and value of books and ancient manuscripts, it is second only to the Vatican. Here one-of-a-kind manuscripts are saved, for which there is no price, for example, manuscripts of St. Theresa of Avila and St. Augustine and many other writings.