Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Renaissance monastery complex in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.
The Royal Monastery spans 192 meters in length and 152 meters in width, featuring granite construction with four corner towers reaching 55 meters high.
Philip II of Spain commissioned this monastery in 1563 as a monument to commemorate the Spanish victory at the Battle of Saint Quentin against France.
The Royal Library preserves 45,000 manuscripts and texts from the 15th and 16th centuries, establishing El Escorial as a center of Renaissance learning.
The monastery opens daily for guided tours, with direct transportation available from Madrid, although wheelchair access remains limited to certain areas.
The complex includes 15 cloisters, 13 oratories, 86 staircases, 88 fountains, 1,600 paintings, nine towers, and 73 sculptures throughout the buildings.
Location: San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Inception: 1563
Founders: Philip II of Spain
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
Length: 192.5 m
Width: 152 m
Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access
Website: https://entradas.patrimonionacional.es/es-ES/comprar-entradas-palacios-reales-monasterios
Part of: Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid, Patrimonio Nacional
Website: https://entradas.patrimonionacional.es/es-ES/comprar-entradas-palacios-reales-monasterios
GPS coordinates: 40.58917,-4.14778
Latest update: May 26, 2025 19:10
These burial sites document the history of European noble families. The structures range from large mausoleums to simple monuments. The architecture displays various styles from ancient Rome to modern times.
Royal Crypt of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
84 m
Pantheon of the Infantes of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
84 m
Silla de Felipe II
2.3 km
Casita del Príncipe
1.1 km
Library of the Monastery of El Escorial
162 m
Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Escorial
2 km
Casita del Infante
970 m
Church of San Bernabé
1.8 km
Paraje Pintoresco del Pinar de Abantos y Zona de La Herrería
2.2 km
Teatro Real Coliseo de Carlos III
191 m
Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid
0 m
Arboreto Luis Ceballos
1.7 km
Royal Basilica of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
56 m
Real Club de Golf La Herrería
1.3 km
Casita del Infante
966 m
Museo Cocheras del Rey
316 m
Casa de la Compaña, San Lorenzo de El Escorial
239 m
Casa 3.ª de Oficios (dependencia del Monasterio)
197 m
Gardens of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
150 m
Casa de los Infantes (dependencia del Monasterio)
193 m
Casa 2.ª de Oficios (dependencia del Monasterio)
160 m
Casa de Peláez o del Infante D. Gabriel
358 m
Sepulchre of John of Austria
84 m
Casa de la Reina (dependencia del Monasterio)
193 m
Casa 1.ª de Oficios (dependencia del Monasterio)
157 m
Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, San Lorenzo de El Escorial
208 m
Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr
468 m
Biblioteca Municipal de El Escorial
1.6 kmReviews
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