Back El Escorial AF Monesterio d'El Escorial AN الإسكوريال Arabic الاسكوريال ARZ Monesteriu d'El Escorial AST Eskorial AZ Эскарыял BE Ескориал Bulgarian El Escorial BS Monestir d'El Escorial Catalan
| Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial | |
|---|---|
Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial | |
 A distant view of the Royal Site | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Monastery of El Escorial |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Herrerian style |
| Location | San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°35′N 4°09′W / 40.59°N 4.15°W |
| Management | Patrimonio Nacional |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Juan Bautista de Toledo |
| Official name | Monastery and Site of the Escorial, Madrid |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv) |
| Designated | 1984 (8th session) |
| Reference no. | 318 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Official name | Monasterio de San Lorenzo |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 3 June 1931 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0001064 |
El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spanish: Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio de El Escorial (Spanish pronunciation: [el eskoˈɾjal]), is a historical residence of the king of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 2.06 kilometres (1.28 mi) up the valley (4.1 km [2.5 mi] road distance) from the town of El Escorial and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of the Spanish capital Madrid.[1] Built between 1563 and 1584 by order of King Philip II (who reigned 1556–1598),[2][3] El Escorial is the largest Renaissance building in the world.[4] It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school, and hospital.
El Escorial consists of two architectural complexes of great historical and cultural significance: the royal monastery itself and La Granjilla de La Fresneda, a royal hunting lodge and monastic retreat about five kilometres (3.1 mi) away. These sites have a dual nature: during the 16th and 17th centuries, they were places in which the power of the Spanish monarchy and the ecclesiastical predominance of the Roman Catholic religion in Spain found a common architectural manifestation.[5] El Escorial was both a Spanish royal palace and a monastery. Established with a community of Hieronymite monks, it has become a monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine.[1][6] It was also a boarding school: the Real Colegio de Alfonso XII.[7]
Philip II engaged the Spanish architect Juan Bautista de Toledo to be his collaborator in the building of the complex at El Escorial.[2][8][9][3] Toledo had spent the greater part of his career in Rome, where he had worked on St. Peter's Basilica,[10][3] and in Naples serving the king's viceroy, whose recommendation brought him to the king's attention. Philip appointed him architect-royal in 1559, and, together, they designed El Escorial as a monument to Spain's role as a center of the Christian world.[11]
On 2 November 1984, UNESCO declared The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo of El Escorial a World Heritage Site.[2][8][9][6][3] It is a popular tourist attraction, often visited by daytrippers from Madrid—more than 500,000 visitors come to El Escorial every year.
- ^ a b "El Escorial". Britannica. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Roller, Sarah (24 November 2020). "El Escorial". History Hit. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
ingeoexpertwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Tietz, Tabea (13 September 2020). "El Escorial – The World's largest Renaissance Building". SciHi Blog. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ UNESCO (2008). "The Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Natural Surroundings". Retrieved 5 June 2008.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
significancewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ unknown (2016). "Identidad". Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
unescowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
headoutwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
experienceswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mary Crawford Volk; Kubler, George (1 March 1987). "Building the Escorial". The Art Bulletin. 69 (1). The Art Bulletin, Vol. 69, No. 1: 150–153. doi:10.2307/3051093. JSTOR 3051093.