El Escorial

The Eighth Wonder of the World!
The temple of history, art and culture of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries of Spain.
The emblem of Spanish pomp and grandeur, in its most glorious period.
This is the Monastery and Royal Palace of San Lorenzo de Escorial, better known by the simpler “El Escorial”.
A spectacular and majestic monumental complex, set in an enchanting landscape in the heart of the Sierra de Guadarrama.

Visiting El Escorial is like taking a dip in the past. It is to admire a truly sensational place, in terms of beauty and size. A unique style and architecture, daughter of Juan de Herrera, who completed the project for the complex

A Monastery, Church, residence and Pantheon of the Spanish Royals, built between 1563 and 1584. About 4000 rooms, 88 fountains, 86 stairways, 15 cloisters, 13 oratories, you will be able to 1500 paintings, 9 towers, 73 sculptures. All this gives a good idea of ​​the majesty of the complex.

In 1971 the monastery was declared a Historic-Artistic Complex. In 1984 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

PRACTICAL INFO

HOW TO GET

Thanks to its proximity to Madrid (just 50 kilometers) the complex is particularly suitable for a day visit.
The entrance to the complex is located on Avda. Don Juan de Borbón y Battenberg s/n. Fachada norte. It is approximately a 15-minute walk through Av. De los Reyes Católicos.

WHAT TO SEE

As widely said, the complex is truly majestic and consists of several parts. The beautiful Basilica built by Philip II, with a square plan, with frescoed vaults and the sumptuous Capilla Mayor. Altar, sculptures, paintings. There is so much to admire. As in the halls of the Nuevos Museos. They are housed in the Palacio de Verano. The great protagonist is undoubtedly the Museo de Pintura, a large art gallery full of paintings by great Spanish, Italian and Flemish artists: El Greco, Rubens, Tiziano, Velázquez… On the lower floor there is the Museo de Arquitectura.
The Sala de las Batallas is a beautiful and long gallery with a decorated vault. It contains two immense frescoes depicting the battles of Higueruela and San Quintino, won by the Crown.
Precious manuscripts and ancient texts find their place in the elegant Library, always wanted by Philip II.

In the monumental Pantheon of the Kings there are the tombs of Spanish Kings and Queens.
On the other hand, the beautiful and well-kept gardens house the Casita del Principe, a small neoclassical building located east of the monastery. Furniture, tapestries, porcelain.
Crossing the entire garden, on the other side you arrive near the train station. It is an ideal route if you plan to return by train.