El Escorial

El Escorial, royal palace 43 km (27 mi) north-west of Madrid, founded in the 16th century by Philip II of Spain. It incorporates a cathedralesque church, a monastery, a school, and a famous library, and reflects the deeply pious outlook of its founder. The vast complex, said to contain 160 km (100 mi) of corridors, was constructed between 1563 and 1584. Philip's intention was, first, to obey the wishes of his father, the Emperor Charles V, and build a royal burial place, and secondly, to honour a vow that he had made to build a church dedicated to St Lawrence. After the death of Juan Bautista de Toledo, the first architect of the palace, in 1567, the work was completed by Juan de Herrera. Philip lived at the Escorial for 14 years and died there in 1598.

The royal apartments are relatively modest, since Philip lived in considerable austerity. In contrast, the church (1578-1581) is vast and elaborately decorated. The royal burial vault (Panteón de los Reyes), constructed after Philip's own death, contains the bodies of Charles V (brought there in 1634), of Philip himself, and of many subsequent Spanish monarchs. South of the church is the Patio de los Evangelistas, the heart of the monastery. The great Library (Biblioteca de Impresos) is on the first floor of the north-west wing and is rich in early printed books and manuscripts. Its painted ceiling is the work (1590-1592) of the Italian artist Pellegrino Tibaldi. The Escorial was relatively little used by Philip's successors (the Bourbon Charles IV, disliking its severity, built the nearby Casita del Principe in the 1770s) and it ceased to be a royal residence in 1861. The Escorial was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.