Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Monastery in Spain
El Escorial is a vast building complex located in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, near Madrid, in central Spain.
The construction of El Escorial began in 1563 and ended in 1584, under the reign of King Philip II.
El Escorial houses a royal palace, a basilica, a pantheon, a library, a school and a monastery.
El Escorial is open to the public and can be reached by train from Madrid.
El Escorial is known for its symmetrical design, which is said to represent the grid of the universe as understood by Renaissance-era cosmographers.
Location: San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Inception: 1563
Founder: Philip II of Spain
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
Length: 192.5 m
Width: 152 m
Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access
Website: entradas.patrimonionacional.es/es-ES/comprar-entradas-palacios-reales-monasterios
Sources: Wikimedia, OpenStreetMap