The correct name of which is San Lorenzo del Escorial, a royal residence built in the 16th century. Escorial is located 50 kilometers from Madrid, among the wooded hills of the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarama.

El Escorial Palace in Spain: history of construction

The beginning of its construction dates back to 1561, when King Philip II, the second king of the Habsburg dynasty, who ruled Spain at that time, having decided to implement the order of his father Charles V to build a royal tomb, visited the town of Escorial in the Sierra de Guadarama mountains, where lived stonemasons. Digging a little from the story, let us inform you that Escorial is translated from Spanish as “heap of slag.”

Michelangelo's student Juan Batisto de Toledo was appointed as the project's architect. He supervised the construction for the first six years - from 1563 to 1569. After his death, Juan de Herrere completed and decorated the palace. The king personally supervised all stages of construction and foresaw a departure in style from the gloomy Middle Ages to a more secular appearance. In plan, the architectural complex is an almost regular square measuring 161 by 206 meters, with a church in the center, a monastery to the south, and a palace to the north.

The entire outer contour of the Escorial is a closed five-story building on a high base. The entire internal space is divided into 11 courtyards, forming the appearance of the very lattice on which St. Lawrence suffered martyrdom. For a long time it was considered the largest building in the world. Experts counted 4,000 chambers in it, and the length of the corridors was tens of kilometers.

The interior decoration of the Escorial was carried out in full accordance with the orders of Philip II. For the premises of the monastery, church and tomb, the best materials that the Spanish Empire had were used, and, given its wide geography, the possibilities were very large. Inca gold from the western outskirts of the empire flowed in a continuous stream for the construction of Escorial.

Woodcarvers and sculptors from all over Spain worked to decorate its interior. Barcelona Metro from A to Z. Montjuic Mountain is a park area in Barcelona and a place of historical events. Read here. The royal chambers themselves were decorated very simply, to the point of poverty. The last stone was laid in the walls in 1584, and the decoration continued for a very long time, even after the death of Philip II, when his descendants, shocked by the ascetic severity of the royal chambers and the fact that from them, with the doors open, the altar of the church was visible, tried a little rebuild them.

The history of the construction of the dome over the basilica of the temple in Escorial is interesting. This gigantic structure, 90 meters high, took 20 years to build. It could have been even taller, but the Vatican demanded that its height not exceed the height of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Philip II loved his palace-monastery very much. His descendants continued this tradition, so that in addition to the magnificent halls of the El Escorial and its Cathedral, decorated with the greatest possible luxury, many picturesque masterpieces are also available for tourists to view.

Escorial (Spain) and its attractions

What should a tourist see? Tourists can first of all look at the architectural delights of El Escorial, one of which is the main courtyard, called the “courtyard of the kings”. It was named so because in its upper tier there are six giant sculptures depicting the Old Testament kings from Solomon to Saul. This emphasized the king's desire to demonstrate his commitment to the continuation of their work, his determination in the fight against dissent in matters of faith.

Escorial (Madrid) and museums

In addition, there are two museums in El Escorial. One of them demonstrates the history of the royal residence in drawings by various authors and eras. Also in this museum there are several models of Escorial, many household items that were used in Everyday life royal residence and the construction tools used in the construction of this symbol of Spain.

The second occupies nine rooms and contains a royal collection of paintings by artists who worked in the 15th-17th centuries. There you can see paintings by Van Dyck, Titian, Bosch, Tintoretto, Veronese. The Cabinet of King Philip II It will be interesting to look at the chambers and study of King Philip II; they have only brick floors and smooth whitewashed walls. The king’s office is decorated with one single painting by Bosch, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” and the throne from which he ruled his vast country is just the camp chair of his father, King Charles V.

If you want to visit the museum during your trip to Madrid, you can book a tour in advance with local guides:

Palazzo El Escorial: library

It is also interesting to visit the Escorial library, although they won’t give you anything to read there, even if you have knowledge of ancient languages. Just the contemplation of the intellectual wealth that the Spanish kings collected can be awe-inspiring, breaking the prevailing stereotype of a carefree and sweet royal life. A pantheon of Spanish monarchs was also built in El Escorial, almost all of whom, starting with Charles V, are buried there, even those who were not on the throne. The current appearance of the pantheon, decorated with bronze, marble and jasper, was created in 1617 by King Philip III, who did not adhere to such an ascetic outlook on life as his great-grandfather. Only two of the Spanish kings do not rest there - Philip V, who was hated for his gloominess, and Ferdinand VI.

Escorial - how to get there from Madrid

Architectural complex Escorial (Spain) is located fifty kilometers from, not far from small town with the same name, which the Spaniards call “upper Escorial (Escorial de Arriba)”.

50 km from Madrid, among the hills covered with dense forest, rises the huge rectangle of the monastery of St. Lawrence - San Lorenzo. This is the famous one Escorial, the most famous historical monument Spain, created by the will of King Philip II. Among other famous architectural masterpieces Spain is amazing in Granada, majestic and impregnable in Segovia, a formidable castle in Murcia, an exquisite castle in the province of Vizcaya.

El Escorial, the architectural wonder of Spain

Behind the bridge over the Guadarrama River, the ascent begins - mountainous slopes, rocky soil, piles of brown rocks, bushes, rare pine trees. There are small villages with red tiled roofs. The slopes are covered with beautiful oak groves.

From the second ascent you can see El Escorial. It is located at the foot of a grandiose amphitheater of steel-gray granite rocks. The perfectly regular rectangle of the ensemble, topped with a dome, seems quite small from a distance. Its stern, gloomy appearance is emphasized by the gray granite walls of the monastery, the clarity of architectural forms, and the absence of any sculptures or other decorations.

A different impression arises if you look at El Escorial from the north, from the slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama - as if the whole city rises in the huge, sun-drenched silver valley of Manzanares. Boundless wide open spaces, massifs of wild lilac mountains, clean fresh air and amazing clear light under the mountain sky - everything creates the feeling of a free world spread out around. It was necessary to find very special forms of figurative expression so that the architectural complex built here would not be swallowed up by the grandeur and vastness of this beautiful world.

As soon as the construction of the El Escorial was completed, the Spaniards were quick to proclaim this architectural monument the eighth wonder of the world. The comedy written in 1609 by Lope de Vega was called “The Eighth Miracle” and allegorically glorified the wonderful temple erected by the “King of Bengal” at the foot of high mountain, whose name is Guadarrama.

The fame of Escorial in many countries of the world was greatly promoted by the engravings of 1587 by Pedro Peret based on the drawings of the architect Juan de Herrera. The basis of literature about the famous royal ensemble was laid by historians, chroniclers, and travelers of different nationalities. But Escorial also had its own erudite historiographers in the person of the monks of the Hieronymite order, for which the monastery of San Lorenzo was intended. Among them, first of all, Fra José Sigüenza should be named, scientist, writer, musician, first keeper of the Escorial library, author of the “History of the Order of St. Jerome” (1600–1605) - one of the main sources on the history of Escorial.

Escorial, construction history

The creation of the ensemble is usually attributed to a series of coincidental circumstances. On August 10, 1557, the feast day of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo), the combined Anglo-Spanish army defeated French troops at the Battle of Saint-Quentin. Philip II, who was eagerly awaiting the outcome of the battle, upon the joyful news of the victory, made a vow to erect a temple in the name of St. Lawrence. The martyr Lawrence was especially close to the Spanish heart because he was from Aragon. According to legend, the plan of Escorial is shaped like a grate on which the saint was burned alive in 261 by order of the Roman Emperor Valerian.

In addition to his passion for St. Lorenzo Philip II was distinguished by self-absorption, melancholy, deep religiosity and poor health. He was looking for a place where he could relax from the worries of the king of the most powerful empire in the world.

The king wanted to live surrounded by monks, not courtiers; In addition to the royal residence, Escorial was to become primarily a monastery of the Order of St. Jerome. Philip II said that he wanted to "build a palace for God and a hovel for the king."

The future building was supposed to combine a monastery, the personal residence of the king and, in fulfillment of the will of the late father Charles V, the tomb of the Spanish monarchs. The location of Escorial was chosen after long and careful surveys of the Manzanares River valley by a special commission. The Spanish chronicler José Sigüenza wrote: “The king was looking for a landscape that would contribute to the elevation of his soul, conducive to his religious reflections.”

The village of El Escorial, near the deserted iron mines (from the Spanish escoria - “slag”, from which the name of the ensemble itself came) attracted everyone with its favorable location, healthy climate, abundance of mountain springs and the presence of excellent building material - light gray granite.

The construction of the ensemble, begun in 1563, was carried out under the personal supervision of Philip II. At the head of all the work was a talented and experienced leader - the monk of the Jeronimite Order, Fra Antonio de Villacastin. Enormous funds were allocated for construction. Not only the whole of Spain took part in the creation of Escorial, various regions of which supplied marble, Pine forest, forged lattices, church utensils, crosses, lamps, lamps, embroidery and fabrics, but also other European countries, as well as the American colonies, from where gold and valuable wood species were brought.

Philip II entrusted the construction of the Escorial to Juan Bautista de Toledo, his chief architect, whom he brought from Italy back in 1559, where he studied and worked for a long time in Naples and Genoa.

Gradually, the name of Juan de Toledo faded into the background and faded in the shadow of Juan de Herrera (c. 1530–1597), his talented young assistant, who led the construction in 1567 and became generally recognized as the creator of the Escorial.

The king invited the best foreign craftsmen to decorate El Escorial. Italians Pellegrino Tibaldi, Federico Zuccaro, Luca Cambiaso, Romulo Cincinato, Niccolo Granello, Fabrizio Castello, Bartolomee Carduccio and others worked here. Much later, at the end XVII century, during the reign of Charles II, the master of the Italian Baroque, Luca Giordano, painted the vault of the main nave of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, as well as the vault and frieze of the main internal staircase. In general, the overwhelming majority of the artistic treasures of El Escorial, as well as the museums of Madrid, are works of Italian masters.

Another feature that makes no less impression in El Escorial is the contrast between the cramped and poverty of Philip II’s personal home and the enormous size of the palace chambers, intended for receptions and worship. There are more than eleven thousand windows in these chambers, and a weak ray of light barely penetrates through a small door into the narrow room, which once belonged to the ruler of half the world. The books of the magnificent palace library are very curiously arranged on the shelves: with gold edges facing out and spines inwards, as if the rulers of Escorial wanted to warn the public that they should not know the titles of the works that the king was reading.

As they say, before his death, Philip II wished to say goodbye to Escorial. For a long time, for six days, the dying king was slowly carried on a stretcher from Madrid. His misty gaze still managed to see his beloved child for the last time. A few hours later, the king died... Starting with Philip II, Escorial became the burial place of the kings of Spain.

Later, rulers made changes to Escorial, but despite this, it retains its artistic unity to this day. In the 17th century, Philip IV completed the construction of the Royal Pantheon, which housed the remains of the Spanish kings.

Royal Pantheon of Escorial

One of the purposes of Philip II's construction of El Escorial was to create a mausoleum for his father, Emperor Charles V, whose remains were transferred here in 1586. The ashes of all the kings of Spain, starting with Charles V, are buried here, except for Philip V, who could not stand the gloom of El Escorial and asked to be buried in Segovia, and Ferdinand VI, whose grave is in Madrid.

Both kings and queens, who gave birth to male heirs, are buried here in stone boxes on the shelves of whatnots, having previously rested for 50 years in the secret rooms of the “pudrideros”, and were moved to the Pantheon in the form of ashes.

Opposite is the Pantheon of the Infants, connected by an underground corridor, built in the 19th century, where princes, princesses and queens whose children did not inherit the throne are buried. The sarcophagus for royal children (El Panteon de Infantes) who died in infancy is called “La tarta” (cake) because of its magnificent shape. Built at the request of Queen Isabella II in 1888 by master José Segundo de Lema.

The peculiar design of this controversial structure allows people with a developed imagination to easily imagine this “cake” cut into slices and filled with a young Dauphin in each portion.

Two tombs at El Escorial are empty. The last person to be buried here was the only non-king to receive such an honor - Don Juan Bourbon. His son and current King Juan Carlos I, and indeed the entire people of Spain, felt that he deserved such recognition for his support of democracy under Franco and his abdication of the throne in favor of his son for the sake of a peaceful transfer of power.

Also, in addition to the royal tomb, El Escorial has many rooms for royal relatives, but the tombstones are mostly monotonous: identical or almost identical sarcophagi, coats of arms and inscriptions.

The marble tomb of John of Austria, the winner of the Turks in the historical battle of Lepanto in 1571, stands out here with particular beauty. He is the illegitimate son of Emperor Charles V. Everyone knows him under the name Don Juan, the one who broke the hearts of the frivolous ladies of his time. This is probably why there are 14 (!) wedding rings on his fingers. A knight made of Carrara marble rests in his sleep, clutching a sword in his hands. At his feet are gloves of armor, as a sign that he did not die in battle, but died of illness.

Over the next few hundred years, the El Escorial lost some of its collections to fires and looting, but today it remains the most complete and impressive monument of the late Renaissance in Spain. Now Escorial is included in and is one of the most visited.

The “Eighth Wonder of the World” or “architectural nightmare” is located not far from. If you haven't guessed it yet, then we're talking about about Escorial - the monastery-palace of King Philip II. To get to this famous monastery you need to come to the town with the consonant name El Escorial. Let's take a closer look at this majestic and very interesting place together.

Sights of Escorial

Many tourists travel to Madrid just to visit this magnificent palace, which gathered great amount historical values.

1. Tombs. In the Mausoleum of Escorial you can see the remains of very famous historical figures. These include: all the kings of Spain, starting with Charles V himself (the only exception is Philip V), queens - mothers of heirs, as well as princes and princesses of the 19th century, whose children were unable to inherit the throne. In the Mausoleum of Escorial you can even find the burial place of Don Juan Bourbon, the father of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.
2. The main cathedral of the monastery. These halls are worth visiting if only to see the skillfully painted ceiling and expertly painted frescoes. The cathedral has 43 altars, many Spanish and Italian craftsmen had a hand in decorating them. Such masterpieces of art as those located near these altars cannot be seen anywhere else! Talking about the cathedral, I would really like to add the words of Théophile Gautier, who said: “ In the Cathedral of the El Escorial one feels so overwhelmed, so contrite, so subject to melancholy and overwhelmed by an indomitable strength that prayer seems completely useless».
3. Library. The contents of the local library allow comparisons with the Vatican. Nowhere else on earth are there such places where such a huge number of book rarities would be collected. The manuscripts of St. Augustine, Alphonsus the Wise, St. Teresa, as well as many Arabic manuscripts and cartographic works dating back to the Middle Ages are kept here. By the way, in order to preserve the decorations on the bindings, many of the books in this library stand with their spines facing inward. And Pope Gregory XIII ordered that anyone who dares to steal a book from this library should be excommunicated. In addition to the books located here, it is also worth looking at the decoration of the room, and more specifically, at the ceiling. Tibaldi and his daughter painted this ceiling. They made a ceiling that would symbolize the seven sciences: dialectic, rhetoric, grammar, astronomy, arithmetic, music and geometry. And the end walls of the library were completely dedicated to theology and philosophy.
4. "Philip's Tower". Once upon a time, it was from this place that the king watched the construction of Escorial. Tourists should also go up there, because it is from here that it is noticeable that the palace is made in the shape of a lattice on which St. Lawrence, the martyr, considered the patron saint of all of Escorial, was burned.

5. Museum. The palace of Escorial could not do without it either. There are two of them here. In one of them you can get up close and personal with the history of the construction of Escorial. See sketches, drawings, drawings and graphs. But the second museum is completely devoted to the works of great and famous masters of the 15th-17th centuries. Among the paintings you can find works by Bosch, Titian, Veronese and many other unique personalities.

Operating mode of Escorial

In order to get to this interesting place and not come in vain, we would like to inform you of the opening hours of Escorial. It is open to visitors from 10 am to 5 pm, 6 days a week, except Monday. Entrance costs about 5 euros. When calculating the time for your trip, take into account the size of the place, and prepare yourself to spend at least 3 hours on this excursion.

According to the Spaniards, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which many are accustomed to simply calling El Escorial, is the eighth wonder of the world. This one is unusual architectural ensemble is located in the suburbs of Madrid and is the residence of the kings with a museum, library and a large national archive. The monument is included in the UNESCO list of protected sites.

Tourists include the El Escorial Palace in their excursion route across Spain to see this majestic monastery with your own eyes and walk along its giant empty corridors, decorated with huge canvases.

Planning to go to El Escorial, Toledo and others interesting places Spain, it wouldn't hurt to take warm clothes with you. The territory where the palace is located is constantly windy and cool, and inside the monastery you can freeze even in the hot summer.

Story

There is a legend according to which Royal Palace-The Monastery of San Lorenzo was built to close the “Gateway to Hell.” According to the devout Spaniards, they are located at the foot of the Guadarrama Mountains. But still real reason The construction of the monastery is not so mystical.

August 10, 1557 was a significant day in the history of the creation of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. On this day, the Battle of St. Quentin took place in Flanders, in which the Spaniards defeated the French, but, unfortunately, accidentally destroyed the church of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo), revered throughout the country. In memory of the saint and in honor of the victory, Philip II gave the order to begin construction of a majestic castle, which he planned to equip as a royal residence.

Before construction, the king instructed the architect Toledo that he would like to see a serious structure that would combine nobility without arrogance and grandeur without ostentation.

The Spanish Escorial has become famous for the fact that it was built in record time. Huge and beautiful building even with a meager construction arsenal, it was erected in just twenty-one years. At that time, these were unprecedented deadlines for such a volume of work. As a result, Spain acquired a landmark that soon became famous throughout the world.

Attractions

The plan of the Escorial complex includes a rectangular large building with 13 chapels, 9 towers, 16 patios, 15 galleries, 9 organs, several dozen cells and staircases and hundreds of doors and windows. On both sides of the monastery there is a spacious square, and on the opposite sides there are gardens, from which picturesque views of Madrid open.

The residence is interesting both outside and inside. Tourists are allowed to visit the interior of the palace with its many secret passages, gray granite galleries and vaulted corridors. There really is something to see in El Escorial.

Pantheon

From the very beginning, El Escorial near Madrid was supposed to become the tomb of the royal house of Spain. Philip II wanted to realize his idea of ​​a mausoleum here for his father: the remains of Emperor Charles V were transferred to the tomb in 1586. The stone pantheon was completed in the crypt of the church after the death of King Philip II, in 1617.

The “Pantheon of Kings” under the main altar of the church is made of bronze, jasper and marble. It became the eternal refuge for all Spanish kings, starting with Charles V, with the exception of Philip V and Ferdinand VI. The first was buried in Segovia, as he did not like Escorial for its gloom, the remains of the second are kept in Madrid. In the photo of the tombs of the kings in El Escorial and during a personal visit, tourists can notice women’s names on the tombs. Queens who gave birth to male heirs are buried in the pantheon.

Opposite the main tomb is the modern Pantheon of the Infantes at El Escorial. Princesses and princes are buried there, as well as queens whose children did not inherit the throne.

Museums

An excursion to El Escorial must include a visit to two large museums. One shows the history of the residence's construction in drawings, plans, tools and models. The second consists of nine spacious halls: it displays paintings of the 15th–17th centuries.

Art Gallery

El Escorial is home to one of the richest art galleries in Europe - about 5,000 paintings are stored here. Titian, Velazquez, Bosch, Tintoretto, El Greco - paintings by famous painters can be viewed when visiting the monastery. The gallery also has a valuable collection of wall hangings woven according to sketches by Goya and Rubens. In a separate room are presented vintage maps worlds in which Russia does not yet exist, and instead of France, Burgundy and Flanders are indicated.

Library

After the residence was completed, King Philip II founded a library in it, into which he transported a huge collection of books on magic and the occult. They say that the Holy Inquisition did not even suspect about these reserves of the ruler.

In terms of the size of the book collection, the royal library is second only to the Vatican. The first contains more than 40,000 books and approximately 3,000 manuscripts: even from the photo of the Escorial you can appreciate its grandeur and dimensions. It is interesting that only here books are placed with the spines inward to preserve the ancient decorations of the bindings.

Cathedral

El Real is the main cathedral of the monastery, which attracts visitors with its painted ceiling and beautiful frescoes. Although, according to reviews, some are delighted by the grandeur of the building, others, on the contrary, are overwhelmed. The writer Théophile Gautier wrote that he felt overwhelmed and overwhelmed in the temple.

The space behind the altar of the cathedral is decorated with golden paintings in which Italian and Spanish masters reproduced scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and Christ. Here you can also see sculptures of Philip II, Charles V and other members of the royal family.

Square and gardens

The map of Escorial shows the royal residence surrounded on all sides by gardens and a large square called the "lonja". After a walk around the monastery, you can go out into the fresh air to personally appreciate the beautiful garden, which implements solutions in the field of landscape design inherent to the 16th century.

If you walk through the blooming park area, you can enjoy picturesque view to the mountains, fields and Madrid itself. Here you can also find a sculpture of the king, who seems to be looking at his residence with a contented look.

Philip's chair

When visiting Escorial (Spain), attractions can be found at every step. But even at some distance from the majestic place you can see interesting and memorable places, connected by history with the royal residence and the monarch himself.

“Philip’s Chair”, which is also called “Philip’s Tower”, is located at a distance of 6 km from the monastery. The large stone really resembles a chair. According to legend, the king used it to monitor the progress of the castle's construction. That's what every one says tourist description, dedicated to an unusual landmark.

The climb to the “monarch’s chair” is quite steep and can take a lot of effort, but according to tourists, it’s worth it. This place offers a breathtaking view, and you can also see the palace in detail and see that it is built in the shape of a lattice. Knowledgeable people explain that St. Lawrence, the patron saint of Escorial, was burned on a similar-shaped grate.

Boys' Choir

The boys' choir of the Escorial monastery in Spain, which has already become famous throughout the world, can cement the impressions of visiting the royal residence. Church services with the participation of the choir and its concerts have become one of the main “magnets” attracting crowds of tourists to this part of the country. Young singers periodically go on tour to other countries.

How to get there

The residence and monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is located 50 km from Madrid, right at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains.

There are two ways to get to the famous landmark from Madrid at prices ranging from 7 to 20 euros (one way):

• by train. Trains depart from Atocha and Chamartin stations and run to El Escorial. From railway station“Escorial” to the monastery itself takes about 20 minutes, the distance is 1.5 km. You can also travel the route by local bus;
• by bus. Bus routes 661 and 664 are laid from the new terminal in the capital "Intercambiador Moncloa" and directly to royal castle. You can get there in about 1 hour. You can get back to Madrid from the bus station located on the street next to the monastery Calle Juan de Toledo.

"The Escorial Monastery is a monastery, palace and residence of King Philip II of Spain. Located an hour's drive from Madrid at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. The architectural complex of Escorial evokes a variety of feelings: it is called both the “eighth wonder of the world” and “a monotonous symphony in stone" and "an architectural nightmare." " "The first Habsburgs to inherit rich and powerful Spain from the Catholic monarchs were Charles V and Philip II. This was the dawn of Spanish absolutism, based on the aristocracy and clergy of Spain. A powerful power seized lands throughout - from America to Asia." "In “the sun never set on my domains,” the Holy Roman Emperor, “ruler of the half-world,” the Spanish King Charles V, liked to say. And indeed, his huge empire was scattered across four continents, three Americas and the former colonies of Portugal in Asia and Africa, occupied half of Europe.
"Philip II, the son of Charles V, is interesting as a person for several reasons. There has never been such a period in world history when so many states and peoples were subordinate to one ruler. He was called the “spider king,” who, sitting in the Escorial Palace near Madrid, weaved the finest web of conspiracies and entangled the whole world with it. Philip the Cautious - defender of the Catholic faith and eradicator of heresy - another of his nicknames. "Phillip's Mother 2
"Father's Death
" ALONSO SANCHEZ COELLO (1531-1588) Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. Prado Museum. Infanta Isabel (Isabel Chiafa Eugenio) - daughter of Philip II, King of Spain and his third wife, Isabel, princess of the house of Valois, sister of the famous Queen Margot " Elizabeth Valois third wife, died in childbirth. ""Infanta Catalina Micaela" Alonso Sanchez Coelho, Prado Museum. The daughter of Elizabeth and Philip 2, Charles V gave two orders to his son: that he continue his father's work in the fight against heresy and erect a worthy tomb for the royal family of Spain. Philip II uses the power of the Roman everywhere popes and the methods of the Spanish Inquisition. In Spain he was revered as a saint, in the rest of the world as a fiend of hell, “In 1561, Philip II visits the small mining town of Escorial, which is located in the granite mountains of the Sierra de Guadarama. By the way, Escorial simply means “heap of slag.” Having a good artistic taste, Philip II independently selected craftsmen for the construction and decoration of palaces, personally supervised, checked and sometimes corrected architectural projects. A secluded place is still shown in the mountains (it is called “Philip’s tower”), from which the king secretly watched construction of a family crypt.
“But Philip II imagined something more than what Charles V asked him for. Before his mind’s eye appeared a gigantic monastery, a basilica and a palace, united into a single whole. Of course, a monastery and secular chambers are usually difficult to combine. But there are times when secular power shares the same roof with the clergy, at least for a while: the monarch, on a trip, enjoys the hospitality of the abbot of the monastery or a member of the royal family, makes donations to monasteries and monks. Philip II wanted to build a monastery, which would also be a royal palace. "Escorial became the largest building in the world, with 4,000 rooms and hundreds of kilometers of corridors. More than a million tons of granite were spent on its construction. The first residents of Escorial were monks, to whom the king gave two instructions: that they pray every day for the health and well-being of the royal family and to keep the relics of Catholic saints, which Philip II treasured very much. The collection of relics of Catholic saints was the largest, it numbered 7,000 bones of righteous saints. Philip II may have kept the remains of the Twelve Apostles and the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. "Building" The history of El Escorial begins on August 10, 1557, when the armies of Philip II defeated the French at the Battle of Saint-Quentin in Flanders. This happened on St. Lorenzo (San Lorenzo), and Philip II decided to erect a monastery in honor of this saint. The new palace complex was supposed to personify the strength of the Spanish monarchy and Spanish weapons, recalling the Spanish victory at San Quenten
"Gradually the plans grew, as did the significance of the building. It was decided to embody the bequest of Charles V - the creation of a dynastic pantheon, and also, by combining the monastery with the royal palace, to express in stone the political doctrine of Spanish absolutism. The king sent two architects, two scientists and two stonemasons to find a place for a new monastery so that it was not too hot, not too cold and not too far from the new capital. After a whole year of searching, they ended up where Escorial is now located. "In addition to their passion for St. Lorenzo Philip II was distinguished by self-absorption, melancholy, deep religiosity and poor health. He was looking for a place where he could relax from the worries of the king of the most powerful empire in the world. He wanted to live surrounded by monks, not courtiers; In addition to the royal residence, Escorial was to become primarily a monastery of the Order of St. Jerome. Philip II said that he wanted to "build a palace for God and a hovel for the king"
" Philip did not allow anyone to compose his biography during his lifetime: in essence, he wrote it himself, and wrote it in stone. "The victories and defeats of the empire, the succession of deaths and tragedies, the king's obsession with learning, art, prayer and government - all this was reflected in the Escorial. The central position of the huge cathedral symbolizes the king's belief that all political actions should be guided by religious considerations." The first stone was laid in 1563. Construction lasted 21 years. The main architect of the project was first Juan Bautista de Toledo, a student of Michelangelo, and after his death in 1569, the completion of the work was entrusted to Juan de Herrera, who came up with the ideas for the final finishing. The complex was an almost square structure, with a church in the center, the monastery premises to the south, and a palace to the north; Each part had its own courtyard.
"E. Bosch The construction of the ensemble, begun in 1563, was carried out under the constant personal supervision of the king. Not a single drawing was passed without his approval. Everything related to Escorial was decided by this royal red tape with exceptional speed. It should be noted (unlike other ventures era) excellent organization of work. Enormous funds were allocated. The construction was distinguished by an unprecedented scale. Not only the whole of Spain participated in the creation of the Escorial, various regions of which supplied marble, pine wood, forged lattices, church utensils, crosses, lamps, embroideries and fabrics. but also other European countries, as well as the American colonies, from where gold and precious wood were brought. For twenty years, the construction of Escorial went on. From a ledge in the granite rock, called the “King’s Chair,” Philip II watched how his beloved was erected stone by stone. brainchild.
"The location of El Escorial was chosen after a long and thorough examination of the Manzanares valley by a special commission. José Sigüenza wrote: “The king was looking for a landscape that would contribute to the elevation of his soul, conducive to his religious thoughts.” The village of El Escorial near the deserted iron mines attracted successful climatic conditions– location on the southern slopes of the Sierra, abundance of mountain springs and magnificent building material– light gray granite.
Philip II commissioned the construction of the Escorial to Juan Bautista de Toledo, his chief architect. But the construction of the Escorial brought the architect a lot of grief, which probably accelerated his death in 1567. Gradually, the name of Juan de Toledo faded into the background and was almost erased from the memory of the Spaniards. Juan de Herrera, his talented young assistant, who led the construction in 1567, became the generally recognized creator of the Escorial.
"Juan de Herrera not only significantly changed the original plan of Juan de Toledo, but also subordinated the entire structure to a new figurative system, unified in all details. The plan of the Escorial - a rectangle with four towers (height 56 ​​meters) in the corners - reveals closeness to the plans of the old Spanish alcazars. Such fortress palaces, erected in the ancient cities of Spain, constitute the heritage of national architecture, dating back to distant origins. The plan of the ensemble proposed to Juan de Herrera with its exact parameters represented, as it were, the initial data with the help of which he must solve the most complex architectural problem. solved it brilliantly. “The Martyrdom of Saint Mauritius.” El Greco Following the king’s aspirations for simplicity, severity and authoritarianism, Juan de Herrera enlarged the entire building, doubling the number of floors, and united the four facades on one level with a common cornice. He achieved a rare proportionality of a clear silhouette and three-dimensional composition of the entire complex. Thus, Juan de Herrera very correctly found the proportional relationship between the dome of the cathedral, the corner towers and the horizontals of the very extended facades." The solution of these colossal five-story facades is one of the most daring innovations of the Spanish architect. The expressiveness of the facades is based on the emphasized laconicism of a smooth plane, as if extending into infinity walls. Frequently located windows and horizontal rods here are not decorations, but necessary elements of the composition, subordinated to the "South façade" Philip oversaw all stages of design and construction. From a conceptual point of view, the choice of architectural style was of great importance. Philip II needed to emphasize the break with the medieval past and the European significance of his power. This requirement was best met by the style of archaic Renaissance architecture. "The main facade of the Escorial Cathedral looks out onto a rectangular courtyard called the “Courtyard of the Kings.” The courtyard is so named because in the upper tier on pedestals there are six giant statues of the Old Testament kings. Fighting heresy, Philip II thought that he was continuing the work of the ancient kings of Israel: here there are King Solomon - known for his wisdom, and King Saul - known for his courage, as well as other kings of Israel.

The interior architecture of the cathedral is designed in official, cold colors. The architect Juan de Herrera, who replaced Jun de Toledo, believed that the Dorian order “best expresses power with its strength and nobility.” All internal elements: pilasters, frieze, cathedral walls are made of grayish marble, and only the main altar catches the eye as a bright spot. The altar rises at a height of four floors in the main nave of the cathedral, slightly elongated to the east. The altar is decorated with jasper, precious stones and multi-colored marble, which shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow from the light falling through the lantern in the dome. The brilliance of the altar symbolizes the center of the Ecorial and the purpose of the earthly mission of Philip II. "For the interior decoration, the best materials were used and the best craftsmen of the peninsula and other countries were assembled. Wooden carvings were made in Cuenca and Avila, marble was brought from Aracena, sculptural works were ordered in Milan, bronze and silver products were made in Toledo, Zaragoza, and Flanders. "On December 13, 1584, the last stone was laid in the building of the complex. After this, artists and decorators got to work, among whom were the Italians P. Tibaldini, L. Cambiaso, F. Castello and others. “And after the completion of construction, Philip II did not leave Escorial with his worries. Here he collected a large number of works by Spanish and European painters, valuable books and manuscripts were brought here. After the death of Philip II, the collections continued to be replenished by his heirs, and now Escorial houses works by Titian, El Greco, Zurbaran, Ribera, Tintoretto, and Coelho. "The king's chambers, in contrast to the luxury of the large military halls and the gloomy splendor of the pantheon, were decorated extremely simply. Brick floors, smooth whitewashed walls - this was designed more in the traditional spirit of Spanish dwellings and, moreover, corresponded to the created image of Philip the Monarch. Architecture" Ceiling painting in the El Escorial Palace "Garden at the Palace in the French style "Escorial brilliantly embodied the ideas contained in it. Erected from light sandstone in clear and strict forms, it rises against the backdrop of mountain greenery as calmly and confidently as Philip II looks at us from the portrait of Coelho. The correspondence of the shape of each of the buildings to its purpose is amazing: the simplicity of the royal chambers, the light and high interior of the church, the light structure of the arcades in the library, the gloomy splendor of the tombs "The courtyards with greenery seem to cut the stone and let the mountain light into the chambers. No wonder Philip II loved his brainchild so much. He ordered it to be transported here when death approached. Escorial became a model palace complexes, which was imitated or based on by subsequent Spanish kings. In the niches on both sides there are sculptures of Charles V and Philip II with their families (the work of the Italian L. Leoni). From the king's bedroom there was an entrance to another niche, a box for the king and his retinue. "In the center of the “Courtyard of the Kings” there is a well in the form of an elegant small temple built of gray granite. Slender columns, statues in niches and an elegant balustrade running along the cornice add charm to the temple. Large quadrangular pools, arranged crosswise, adjoin the small temple with four sides. The blue water of the pools reflects the noble forms of the temple-well. The interior decoration is made of pink, green and white marble.
"The gray walls of the El Escorial seem to be inscribed in the grayish-blue landscapes surrounding the palace. It rises as a frightening, gloomy bulk, as if reminiscent of the closed and unyielding disposition of Philip II, who wanted to enslave the whole world
"The Escorial is a rectangle 208 × 162 m. It has 15 galleries, 16 patios (inner courtyards), 13 chapels, 300 cells, 86 staircases, 9 towers, 9 organs, 2673 windows, 1200 doors and a collection of more than 1600 paintings. Some believe that the building is shaped like an upside-down brazier in memory of St. Lorenzo, who was roasted alive.
"The northern and western walls of the monastery are surrounded by big square, called lonja (Spanish lonja), and from the south and east side there are gardens that offer a magnificent view of the monastery fields, orchards and the surrounding area of ​​Madrid beyond them. This view is also admired by the statue of King Philip II in the Frailes Garden (Spanish: Jardin de los Frailes), where the monks rested after their labors. To the right of the garden is a gallery for convalescents.
“Giving instructions to the architects, Philip II said: “For the Lord, a palace, for a king, a hut.” The king's house looks very modest, as if for a monk. The king's chambers are rooms for reflection: Philip II has many reasons to worry. With righteous art, Philip II strengthened his spirit for the fight. The only painting in his room was “The Garden of Earthly Joys” by I. Bosch; there were no other decorations. The king's office looked like a monk's cell, and his throne was his father's camp chair, which accompanied Charles V on all his military campaigns.
"The huge empire was ruled by Philip II from a small office, and the royal chambers were located in El Escorial so that the king could go directly to the church from them. Even in old age, lying on his bed, Philip II could still see the main altar of the church. These chambers, bordering the eastern aisle of the church, they seem to “stick out” from the main part of the ensemble, which is why they are called the “handle” of the St. Lawrence grille.
"Gold from America flowed in a continuous stream for the construction of Escorial, but in 1577 a disaster occurred. During a severe thunderstorm, lightning struck the southwestern tower, a fire broke out, and rivers of molten lead flowed down the walls of Escorial..
"Underground waters prevented the completion of the construction of the family crypt. Only in 1654, after the foundation under El Escorial was drained, was the tomb completed. But time and people made their own changes: instead of cold granite, marble, gold and bronze were used." The interior of El Escorial is also designed in cold, strict colors. Subsequent rulers preferred richer and more spacious apartments and, moreover, did not always want to see the main altar in front of them. Therefore, the palace was expanded by adding premises to the north side of the church. To the south of the church there is a two-tier gallery of the religious procession, stretching along the perimeter of the courtyard - the so-called “Courtyard of the Evangelists” - decorated with sculptures of the four evangelists. From 1563 to 1584, the most amazing palace in Spain, the Escorial, was built. It is sometimes called a biography of Philip II in stone. Museums There are two large New Museums in Escorial. One of them presents the history of the construction of Escorial in drawings, plans, construction tools and scale models. In the second, in nine rooms, paintings of the 15th-17th centuries are stored, ranging from Bosch to Veronese, Tintoretto and Van Dyck, as well as artists of the Spanish school. The Habsburgs are therefore considered the greatest patrons of the arts of their time. The artists of the Flemish school and Titian, the court artist of Charles V, are especially fully represented. "Pantheon" The huge (300-foot) dome of the basilica in Escorial was built by craftsmen only 20 years later. As a sign of obedience to the Vatican, it was made slightly smaller than the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. And this huge church was built only for the king and his retinue, simple people could listen to the words of the shepherds only from behind the bronze gates. "Retablo in the Basilica of El Escorial" One of the purposes of Philip II's construction of El Escorial was to create a mausoleum for his father, Emperor Charles V, whose remains were transferred here in 1586. However, a magnificent pantheon in bronze, marble and jasper was built in the crypt of the church only under Philip III in 1617. "Here lie the ashes of all the kings of Spain, starting with Charles V, except Philip V, who could not stand the gloom of Escorial and asked to be buried in Segovia, and Ferdinand VI, whose tomb is in Madrid
"Queens who gave birth to male heirs are also buried here. Opposite is the Pantheon of Princes, built in the 19th century, where princes, princesses and queens whose children did not inherit the throne are buried.
"Two of the tombs at El Escorial are empty. The last person to be buried here was the only non-king to receive such an honor - Don Juan Bourbon. His son and current king Juan Carlos I, and the entire people of Spain felt that he deserved such a sign of recognition for his support of democracy under Franco and renunciation of the throne in favor of his son for the sake of a peaceful transfer of power to the Council. "The Escorial Cathedral is also worthy of attention: a huge number of frescoes made by Spanish and Italian masters, marble and jasper columns, sculptures and paintings with episodes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary, sculptures of kings and their families - such grandeur can really overwhelm. " While some illustrious visitors spoke in raptures about the magnificence of the El Escorial, others were rather overwhelmed by the grandeur of the cathedral. The French writer and intellectual Théophile Gautier wrote: "In the Cathedral of the El Escorial one feels so overwhelmed, so contrite, so subject to melancholy and overwhelmed by an indomitable strength that prayer seems completely useless.” "The frescoes on the ceiling and along the 43 altars were painted by Spanish and Italian masters. The main retablo (behind the altar image) was designed by the architect of Escorial, Juan de Herrera; between the jasper and marble columns there are paintings of scenes from the life of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints. On the other side are the royal places and sculptures of Charles V, Philip II and their families at prayer. The Library of the El Escorial is second only to the Vatican and houses the manuscripts of St. Augustine, Alfonso the Wise and St. Teresa. history and cartography since the Middle Ages.
"This is the only library in the world where books are placed with the spines inward to better preserve the ancient decorations of the bindings. Pope Gregory XIII declared that anyone who stole a book from here would be excommunicated. Now most of the books on display are copies of the originals.
"The ceiling painting made by Tibaldi and his daughter symbolizes the seven sciences: grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. The end walls are dedicated to the two main sciences, theology and philosophy." During the reign of the Bourbons, part of the living quarters was rebuilt and two small palaces were erected near the monastery, used as hunting lodges and guest houses. The famous Spanish Arabist Conde served in the Escorial library. El Escorial
"Next to the ensemble of the El Escorial monastery, the city of El Escorial arose. The population as of 2003 is about 13 thousand people. Literature Spain. Window to the world. M: ECOM-PRESS, 1998. Cultural history of countries Western Europe in the Renaissance // Under. ed. L. M. Bragina. M.: Higher School, 2001