San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Mountain municipality and cultural center in Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain.
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.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
