San Lorenzo de El Escorial

San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a municipality on the southern slope of Monte Abantos at 1,032 meters elevation in the Community of Madrid. The old town spreads around the monastery, while newer neighborhoods climb up the mountainside.

Philip II founded a royal monastery here starting in 1563, transforming the site from a small settlement into an administrative center. The complex served simultaneously as residence, pantheon and library for the Spanish crown.

The library preserves manuscripts dating back to medieval times, including illuminated codices and early scientific works. Visitors can today view part of this collection in halls beneath painted vaults.

The town center lies just a few minutes' walk from the monastery and offers shops and restaurants along narrow lanes. Buses on route 664 and trains from Madrid bring travelers to the center in under an hour.

Beneath the basilica rest 26 marble sarcophagi holding remains of rulers from the Habsburg and Bourbon houses. The chamber was designed so that each sarcophagus fits individually into a niche.

Location: Community of Madrid

Capital city: San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Elevation above the sea: 1,032 m

Part of: Mancomunidade de Concellos da Serra de Guadarrama, Mancomunidad de Servicios Sociales de Sierra Oeste, Mancomunidade do Noroeste para a xestión e tratamento dos residuos urbanos

Shares border with: Guadarrama, Galapagar, El Escorial, Zarzalejo, Santa María de la Alameda, Peguerinos

Address: San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Spain

Website: http://sanlorenzodeelescorial.org

GPS coordinates: 40.59267,-4.14716

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:41