Spain is culture

The Monastery of El Escorial was the first example of the architectural style which came to be known as Herrerian after its creator, Juan de Herrera. Together with the royal site of El Escorial, it has been awarded the World Heritage designation by UNESCO.

Philip II used this Royal Site for his family pantheon. Construction work began in 1563 under Juan de Toledo, and on his death was continued by Juan de Herrera, who completed the building in 1584. It is built in granite and divided into three areas. The central area is the Kings’ Courtyard. There is a tower at each of its four corners measuring 55 metres, each crowned by a metal sphere. The building’s premises include the Ministries, Casa de los Oficios artisans’ houses, Compaña, where the company was quartered, and the Infantes and Reina rooms, all connected via arches. The church is laid out in the shape of a Greek cross and the funerary monuments to Charles V and Philip II can be seen in the main chapel. The library is also of particular interest. It is on the second floor of the west wing, and contains close to 45,000 documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. It was designated a Historic-Artistic site in 1971 and received the World Heritage designation in 1984. It is a large construction, as can be seen from its 15 cloisters, 13 oratories, 86 staircases, 88 fountains, more than 1,600 paintings, 9 towers and 73 sculptures.

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Website: http://entradas.patrimonionacional.es

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