El Escorial

Monastery of the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain. View from the north-west.

Partial view of El Escorial facade with a white cloud over a tower.

A child playing football in front of El Escorial facade, Spain

Top of El Escorial facade on a sunny day, Spain

Partial view of El Escorial facade.

The Ionic style pediment and columns on the top of El Escorial facade, Spain

A child playing football in front of El Escorial facade, Spain

Facade of El Escorial, Spain. Frontal view.

Facade of El Escorial, Spain. Side view.

Philip II liked the Dutch way of roofing, with slate tiles and spires, and introduced it in Spain.

Philip II liked the Dutch way of roofing, with slate tiles and spires, and introduced it in Spain.

Philip II liked the Dutch way of roofing, with slate tiles and spires, and introduced it in Spain.

El Escorial library, founded by Philip II, houses a rare collection of more than 4,700 manuscripts, many of them illuminated, and 40,000 printed books.

Detail of the celestial globe at El Escorial library, Spain. El Escorial library, founded by Philip II, houses a rare collection of more than4,700 manuscripts, many of them illuminated, and 40,000 printed books.

Framed view of one of the buildings from El Escorial, Spain.

Visitors taking a break at Kings' square, El Escorial, Spain

Vistors at El Escorial main staircase examining the fresco painting and the large staircase itself. The staircase was made by Giambattista Castello, called "Il Bergamasco" (16th century). The fresco paintings are a work by the Spanish painter Lucas Jordan (17th century).

Vistors at El Escorial main staircase examining the fresco painting and the large staircase itself. The staircase was made by Giambattista Castello, called "Il Bergamasco" (16th century). The fresco paintings are a work by the Spanish painter Lucas Jordan (17th century).

A visitor taking photos at El Escorial staircase, Spain. The staircase was made by Giambattista Castello, called "Il Bergamasco" (16th century). The fresco paintings are a work by the Spanish painter Lucas Jordan (17th century)

Marble statue from a child prince's tomb at El Escorial, Spain. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain) and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

Close up of a bronze statue at El Escorial, Spain

Whitewashed walls and arches, typical elements of Spanish architecture

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns and their relatives, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

Tomb of Don Carlos (1545-1568), prince of Asturias, son of King Philip II of Spain and Maria of Portugal, heir to the Spanishthrone, whose hatred for his father led him to conspire with the king's enemies in the Low Countries, thus provoking his arrest. His death contributed to the Black Legend of Philip II.

Marble statue from a child prince's tomb at El Escorial, Spain. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

Marble statue from a child prince's tomb at El Escorial, Spain. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

People visiting and recording the reclining statue of Don Juan de Austria (Don John de Austria) tomb at El Escorial Royal Pantheon, Spain. Don Juan de Austria (1547-1578) was the illegitimate half brother of the king Philip II. Selective focus on the statue's hands.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

Reclining statue of Don Juan de Austria (Don John de Austria) on his tomb at El Escorial Royal Pantheon, Spain. Don Juan de Austria (1547-1578) was the illegitimate half brother of the king Philip II. Selective focus on the statue's hands.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns and their relatives, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns and their relatives, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

View through a very old window with ancient glass

According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial. Further pantheons were made in the 19th century, like this one.

People visiting a room of the palaces inside El Escorial monastery, Spain

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

"El Martirio de San Mauricio" (Martyrdom of St. Maurice), by El Greco, exhibited at El Escorial monastery, Spain.

Roofing with slate tiles, El Escorial, Spain

"El Martirio de San Mauricio" (Martyrdom of St. Maurice), by El Greco, exhibited at El Escorial monastery, Spain.

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera, who finished the work in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century. According to the desire of the king Philip II, most Spanish sovereigns, beginning with the emperor Charles V and Philip II himself, were buried at El Escorial.

The light from glazed window on the wall of an old corridor, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain