El Escorial

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Philip II's El Escorial
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Philip II r. 1556 1598
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El Escorial 26 miles NW of Madrid
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El Escorial
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El Escorial
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Background

• Was built to commemorate the 1557 Spanish victory
  of the French at the Battle of St. Quentin
• Construction began in 1563by Juan Bautista de
  Toledo, who also worked on St. Peters Basilica
• Was completed in 1567 by Juan de Herrera

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Random Facts

• Originally a monastery for monks of the order of
  St. Jerome, a royal palace, college and seminary
• Is the burial place of all the Spanish kings of
  the last 5 centuries

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El Escorial Statistics

• 16 courts
• 14 entrance halls
• 13 oratory
• 300 cells
• 86 stairways
• 9 towers
• 9 pipe organs
• 232 chorus books
• 73 statues
• More than 1,600 scenes
• 88 fountains
• 2,673 windows
• 1,200 doors

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The Escorial Palace
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A Section of the Monastery Gardens

• One of the largest religiousestablishments in
  the world

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The Monastery Gardens
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The View of the Countryside from the Monastery
Area
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Philip IIs Chapel
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Stairwell Inside the Escorial
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Ceiling Inside the Escorial
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A Main Corridor Inside the Escorial
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The Escorials Library

• Over 4,700 rare manuscripts
• Many illuminated manuscripts
• Over 45,000 books
• First public library in Spain

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The Crypt Area
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The Crypt of Philip II
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Philip II Died in this Bed