Spain, Escorial: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Spain is filled with the most extraordinary and magical sights. Escorial is one of them. This is the famous palace, residence and monastery of King Philip II of Spain. This attraction is located at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains, which is one hour from the Spanish capital city. The structure is shocking in its size and scale. Some scientists even put this building on a par with the grandiose pyramid complex at Giza. The Escorial Palace-Monastery was erected in honor of the victory of Spain in the Battle of Saint-Quentin. Then the troops of the empire defeated the French army. This architectural ensemble includes a library, a pantheon and a palace.

The history of the attraction

Spain is proud of many ancient objects. Escorial also belongs to such attractions. It has been leading its history since the end of the summer of 1557. Just at that moment, the army of Philip II defeated the troops of France in the aforementioned battle. The battle took place on Saint Lorenzo's Day. Therefore, the king decided to build a monastery in honor of this saint. The palace ensemble was to embody the strength and steadfastness of the Spanish monarchy and the country's weapons. The complex was supposed to remind of the great victory in Saint-Quentin. Gradually, the scale of construction became larger, and accordingly, the significance of the palace grew.

Very honors the precepts of their monarchs Spain. Escorial was supposed to embody the commandment of Charles V - to create a large dynastic pantheon and make it one with the monastery and the royal palace. The stone of the building was supposed to show the political theory of absolutism in Spain.

Philip II sent his two best architects, two masons and the same number of scientists to find a place to build a monastery. But it had to be not simple, but special: not extremely cold, not very hot, and it had to be located near the new capital. The search continued for a year, and in the end, the territory where the object is located today was chosen. This is one of the more interesting facts about Escorial.

The purpose of the monastery

From all other monarchs, King Philip II was distinguished by his love for St. Lorenzo, self-absorption, melancholy, poor he alth and great piety. The king had been looking for a long time for a place where he could relax and not worry about the pressing problems that reigned in the largest empire in the world. Philip II wantedhe was surrounded not by personal subjects and courtiers, but by monks. Escorial became such a refuge.

Spain, the sights of which we are considering, is generally rich in various monasteries. The Escorial was to play the role of not only the residence of the king, but - and most importantly - the monastery for the Order of St. Jerome.

The monarch spoke of wanting to build a palace for the Lord first, and only then a shack for himself. Philip did not want his biography to be written during his lifetime. He decided to write it himself and capture it not on ordinary paper, but in stone. Thus, Escorial displayed the victories and defeats of Spain, the chronology of troubles and deaths, the royal passion for art, prayers and teachings, as well as the management of the empire. The central location of the cultural monument embodies the ruler's belief that politics should be guided by considerations of a religious nature.

Construction

The most outstanding architectural masterpieces were placed on its territory by Spain. The Escorial is incomparable proof of this. The first stone in its foundation was laid in 1563. Construction work was carried out for 21 years. The architect was Michelangelo's student Juan Bautista de Toledo. In 1569, Juan de Herrera became the new architect. It was he who took up the final finishing work. The ensemble is an object of almost square shape, in the center of which there is a church. A monastery was located in the southern wing of the complex, and a palace with a huge courtyard occupied the northern part.

King Philip followed the design and construction of the Escorial most carefully. The architectural style for him was of incredible importance. So, the building belongs to the archaized Renaissance architecture. Thus, the monarch tried to emphasize the European significance of his state and the separation from the past Middle Ages.

Interesting facts about the interior decoration

The palace-monastery of Escorial (Spain) is distinguished by its chic interior decoration. The best materials were used to create it. And all the work was done by the best builders and craftsmen. In Cuenca and Avila, woodcarving was carried out, an order was sent to Milan for sculptural sculptures, and marble was delivered from Arsena. Silver and bronze items were made in Zaragoza, Toledo and Flanders.

Modern Escorial

Castle-monastery Escorial (Spain) is a very complex ensemble. In addition to the monastery itself, it has a cathedral, a theological school and a palace. If you describe this attraction in numbers, then it has more than 16 courtyards, 86 stairs, one thousand windows facing outward, and one and a half thousand windows facing inward. The perimeter of the building reaches seven hundred meters. Huge blocks of gray granite were used to build the walls of the complex. They give the structure both a sad and majestic look.

The luxurious decoration of the interior and all other objects smooths out the external severity of the attraction. The walls of the chambers are decorated with paintings and frescoes,sculptures and antiques.

A little about the premises

The Escorial Castle in Spain has many wonderful rooms. Let's briefly consider the most interesting of them. For example, private royal chambers. You can find them on the third floor. They are distinguished by underlined modesty of decoration. The bedroom has a small window overlooking the church. Since the king suffered from gout, he could attend worship without leaving his room.

The Tomb of Escorial, or the Pantheon, is the place where all the monarchs of Spain rest.

Magnificent and chic is the library. In terms of the number and value of books and ancient manuscripts, it is second only to the Vatican. Here are stored one-of-a-kind manuscripts that have no price, such as the manuscripts of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Augustine and many other writings.