What is San Lorenzo de El Escorial known for?

What is San Lorenzo de El Escorial known for?

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The Escorial is a vast building complex located in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, near Madrid, in central Spain. The building is the most important architectural monument of the Spanish Renaissance. Construction of El Escorial began in 1563 and ended in 1584.

What does Escorial mean in history?

Definition of ‘Escorial’ huge quadrangle of granite buildings near Madrid, built (16th cent.) by Philip II of Spain: it encloses a palace, church, monastery, etc. Word origin.

Who built Escorial?

One of the largest religious establishments in the world (about 675 by 528 feet [206 by 161 metres]), El 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 lived in the Escorial?

El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Spanish: Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del 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 km (1.28 mi) up the valley (4.1 …

Who built San Lorenzo de El Escorial?

Who was El Escorial built for?

King Phillip II
Perched atop Mount Abanos, in the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was commissioned by King Phillip II who wished to commemorate the Spanish victory over the French in the 1557 battle of St Quentin in Picardy. He also wished to create a necropolis for his defunct parents and his future descendants.

Why was the El Escorial built?

Perched atop Mount Abanos, in the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Escorial was commissioned by King Phillip II who wished to commemorate the Spanish victory over the French in the 1557 battle of St Quentin in Picardy. He also wished to create a necropolis for his defunct parents and his future descendants.

What style of architecture is El Escorial?

The Herrerian style was the official architecture of the Habsburgs, from the reign of Philip II. The sociopolitical impact meant the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial (1563–1584) facilitated its expansion.

Where are the Spanish royal family buried?

Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial
NARRATOR: For centuries the kings of Spain governed the most powerful stronghold of Catholicism in Europe. The final resting place for most of these rulers is the imposing Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial, in central Spain.

Why was the Escorial important?

The Escorial was commissioned by Philip II in 1563 to commemorate the defeat of the French at the Battle of St Quentin on the day of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence, August 10, 1557). Important, too, it fulfilled the wishes of Philip’s father, Charles V, for the construction of a royal mausoleum/ burial place.

Why is El Escorial famous?

Built between 1563 and 1584 by order of King Philip II (who reigned 1556–1598), El Escorial is the largest Renaissance building in the world. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university, school, and hospital.

How long did it take to build El Escorial?

21 years
By 1563 the first stone had been laid and it took only 21 years for the Escorial to be completed. The building was designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a prominent Renaissance architect who had spent much time in Italy but who sadly did not live to see the completion of the project.

What did the Escorial represent?