What country is the Escorial Palace located in? Escorial Monastery: history, description, what to see and how to get there
At the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama, an hour's drive from Madrid, is ancient palace and the Escorial Monastery (Monasterio de El Escorial). At first glance, the building impresses with its grandeur, but not everyone has an unambiguous reaction. Some called Escorial "an architectural nightmare", others - "the eighth wonder of the world." Now Escorial - cultural heritage Spain, a major museum and architectural heritage.
The date of the beginning of the history of Escorial is August 10, 1557, when the Spanish army of King Philip II defeated the French invaders. The victory took place on the Day of Saint Lorenzo, from which the full name of the monastery comes - San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The construction of the palace lasted 21 years from 1563. The first architect was a student of Michelangelo - Juan Bautista de Toledo.
Historically, Escorial is also the tomb of almost all the kings of Spain, starting with Charles V, father of Philip II. The only exceptions are Philip the Fifth and Ferdinand the Sixth, who was buried in Madrid.
The rectangular escorial, measuring 208 by 162 meters, includes 13 chapels, 9 towers, 16 patios, 15 galleries, 300 cells, 86 stairs, 9 organs, 1200 doors, 2673 windows. On the northern and western sides of the monastery there is a large square " lonha", and to the south and east stretch the gardens of the castle, offering beautiful views of the surroundings of Madrid.
Escorial became a haven for two "New Museums". One of them contains exhibits relating to the history of the construction of the palace - drawings, sketches, construction tools or models of the elements of the Escorial. The second museum houses valuable works of art from the 15th-17th centuries. The collection of paintings was founded by the founder of Escorial, Philip II, which was continued by his heirs. Among the paintings of the museum are the works of Bosch, Tintoretto, Veronese, Van Dyck, Titian, El Greco. Thanks to their passion for art, the Habsburgs, who have amassed a worthy collection, are considered patrons of the culture of their time.
However, the most attractive place in Escorial is its library, which is second only to the Vatican. The manuscripts of Alfonso the Wise, Saint Augustine and Saint Teresa are kept here. In addition, the library has a collection of Arabic manuscripts, the largest in the world, as well as illustrated collections of hymns and works on cartography, natural history since the Middle Ages. It is noteworthy that in this library, the only one in the world, books are placed with their spines inside in order to better preserve the bindings, however, many copies of the books have now been replaced by copies.
Not far from Escorial is another attraction of this region - the Valley of the Fallen - an impressive monument in memory of those who died during civil war Spain.
You can order a tour of the ancient sights of Spain, including the Escorial Monastery, with the company "Spain in Russian". The Escorial is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 20:00. The Escorial Gardens close an hour early. The cost of a full entrance ticket is 10 euros, reduced - 5 euros. In addition, there are hours and days of free visits.
According to the Spaniards, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which many used to call simply Escorial, is the eighth wonder of the world. This unusual architectural ensemble is located in the suburbs of Madrid and is the residence of the kings with a museum, a library and a large national archive. The monument is included in the UNESCO list of protected sites.
Tourists include Escorial Palace in their tour of Spain to see this majestic monastery with their own eyes and walk along its giant empty corridors, decorated with huge canvases.
Planning to go to Escorial, to Toledo and others interesting places Spain, it does not hurt to bring warm clothes with you. On the territory where the palace is located, it is constantly windy and cool, and inside the monastery, even in hot summers, you can freeze.
History
There is a legend according to which the royal palace-monastery of San Lorenzo was built to close the "Gate to Hell". According to the devout Spaniards, they are located at the foot of the Guadarrama mountains. And yet the real reason for the construction of the monastery is not so mystical.
August 10, 1557 was a significant day in the history of the creation of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. On this day, the Battle of St. Quentin in Flanders took place, in which the Spaniards defeated the French, but, unfortunately, accidentally destroyed the church of St. Lawrence (San Lorenzo), revered throughout the country. In memory of the saint and in honor of the victory, Philip II gave the order to begin the construction of a majestic castle, which he planned to equip as a royal residence.
Before construction, the king instructed the architect of Toledo that he would like to see a serious building that would combine nobility without arrogance and grandeur without ostentatious luxury.
The Spanish Escorial has already become famous for being built in record time. A huge and beautiful building, even with a meager construction arsenal, was erected in just twenty-one years. At that time, it was an unprecedented time frame for such a volume of work. As a result, Spain acquired a landmark, which soon became known to the whole world.
Attractions
The plan of the Escorial complex includes a large rectangular building with 13 chapels, 9 towers, 16 patios, 15 galleries, 9 organs, dozens of cells and stairs, and hundreds of doors and windows. On both sides of the monastery there is a spacious square, and on the opposite side there are gardens, from which picturesque views of Madrid open.
The residence is interesting both outside and inside. Tourists are allowed to visit the interior apartments of the palace with its numerous secret passages, gray granite galleries and vaulted corridors. There is really something to see in Escorial.
Pantheon
Escorial near Madrid from the very beginning was to become the tomb of the royal house of Spain. Philip II wanted to realize his idea here with a mausoleum for his father: the remains of Emperor Charles V were transferred to the tomb in 1586. The stone pantheon was completed in the crypt of the church after the death of King Philip II, in 1617.
The "Pantheon of Kings" under the main altar of the church is made of bronze, jasper and marble. It became the eternal home for all Spanish kings, starting with Charles V, with the exception of Philip V and Ferdinand VI. The first is buried in Segovia, because he did not like Escorial for its gloom, the remains of the second are stored in Madrid. In the photo of the tombs of the kings in Escorial and when visiting in person, tourists can notice women's names on the tombs. Queens are buried in the pantheon, who gave birth to male heirs.
Opposite the main tomb is the modern Pantheon of the Infantes in Escorial. Princesses and princes are buried there, as well as queens whose children did not inherit the throne.
Museums
An excursion to El Escorial must include a visit to two large museums. One shows the history of the residence's construction in blueprints, plans, tools, and layouts. The second consists of nine spacious halls: it displays art paintings of the 15th-17th centuries.
Art Gallery
One of the richest art galleries in Europe is located in Escorial - about 5,000 paintings are stored here. Titian, Velasquez, Bosch, Tintoretto, El Greco - paintings by famous painters can be viewed when visiting the monastery. The gallery also has a valuable collection of wall hangings woven according to designs by Goya and Rubens. In a separate room, old maps of the world are presented, on which there is no Russia yet, and instead of France, Burgundy and Flanders are indicated.
Library
After the residence was completed, King Philip II founded a library in it, in which he moved a huge collection of books on magic and the occult. They say that the Holy Inquisition was not even aware of these reserves of the ruler.
In terms of the size of the book fund, the royal library is second only to the Vatican. The first contains more than 40,000 books and approximately 3,000 manuscripts: even from a photo of the Escorial, you can appreciate its grandeur and dimensions. It is interesting that only here books are placed with the spines inside to preserve the ancient decorations of the bindings.
The cathedral
El Real is main cathedral monastery, which attracts visitors with its ceiling paintings and beautiful frescoes. Although, according to reviews, some people are delighted with the grandeur of the building, while others, on the contrary, are overwhelming. The writer Theophile Gauthier wrote that he felt crushed and stunned in the temple.
The space behind the altar of the cathedral is decorated with golden paintings in which Italian and Spanish masters reproduced scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and Christ. Here you can also see sculptures of Philip II, Charles V and other members of the royal family.
Square and gardens
The map of Escorial shows the royal residence, surrounded on all sides by gardens and a large square, which is called "lonha". Walking around the monastery, you can go out into the fresh air to personally appreciate the most beautiful garden, which implements the solutions inherent in the 16th century in the field of landscape design.
If you walk through the flowering park area, you can enjoy a picturesque view of the mountains, fields and Madrid itself. Here you can also find a sculpture of the king, who seems to be looking at his residence with a satisfied look.
Philip's armchair
Visiting Escorial (Spain), sights can be found at every step. But even at some distance from the majestic place you can see interesting and memorable places connected by history with the royal residence and the monarch himself.
"Philip's Chair", which is also called "Philip's Tower", is located at a distance of 6 km from the monastery. The big stone really resembles a chair. According to legend, the king used it to oversee the construction of the castle. This is what every tourist description of an unusual attraction says.
The ascent to the "monarch's chair" is quite steep and can take a lot of strength, but, according to the stories of tourists, it's worth it. From this place you have a breathtaking view, and you can also see the palace in all its details and see that it was built in the form of a lattice. Knowledgeable people explain that St. Lawrence, the patron saint of Escorial, was burned on a lattice similar in shape.
Chorus of boys
The boys' choir of the Escorial monastery in Spain, which has already become famous all over the world, can consolidate the impressions of visiting the royal residence. Church services with the participation of the choir and its concerts have become one of the main "magnets" that attract crowds of tourists to this part of the country. Young singers periodically go on tour to other countries.
How to get there
The residence and monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is located at a distance of 50 km from Madrid, right at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
There are two ways to get to the famous landmark from Madrid at a price of 7 to 20 euros (one way):
- by train. Trains depart from Atocha and Chamartin stations and run to El Escorial. From railway station"Escorial" to the monastery to go about 20 minutes, the distance - 1.5 km. You can also overcome the path by local bus;
- by bus. Bus routes 661 and 664 are laid from the new terminal in the capital "Intercambiador Moncloa" and directly to the royal castle. You can get there in about 1 hour. You can return to Madrid from the bus station located on the street next to the Calle Juan de Toledo monastery.
If you really want to be amazed, to see one of the pearls of world architecture, then you should definitely pay attention to Escorial (Monasterio de El Escorial). This is an ancient monastery located very close to the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. This place in Spain is notable for the fact that for a long time it served as the residence of King Philip II. This is one of the few monasteries-palaces in Europe and there really is something to see and be surprised at.
History of Monasterio de El Escorial
Ever since its foundation, in the 16th century, this palace has been different from many other buildings. A vivid example is the record time of its construction. Spanish architects, who at that time had a very meager building arsenal, built this huge, beautiful building in just 21 years. At that time, the construction time of this level was simply unprecedented. The builders managed to reflect the severity and monumentality of the Spanish monarchy in the external appearance of the building.
This was especially true, because the very construction of the Escorial Palace was timed to coincide with the victory of the Spanish troops over the French troops.
Treasures of the Escorial Palace-Monastery
This monastery complex is one of the buildings-museums. Even Philip II began to collect a collection of paintings from all over the world, and it is this collection that can be seen today in the palace building. However, in addition to the collection of paintings and external beauty, Escorial has something to boast about in the interior - the most beautiful stained-glass windows, transitions, arches, mosaic panels and tapestries. The tombs of the Spanish monarchs are also located here, which tourists from all over the world come to see.
A beautiful garden adjoins the Escorial complex, where you can see solutions in the field of landscape design that were relevant even for the 16th century. This is a beautiful building, in which everything is imbued with the spirit of history (See photos and video review on our website).
The interior of the Escorial Palace.
Library in the Escorial Palace:
Useful information for visitors to Escorial:
Address: Av Juan de Borbón y Battemberg, s/n, 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid
Phone: +34 918 90 59 02
Opening hours:
in the summer (April-September) - Tue-Sun from 10:00 to 20:00
in winter (October-March) - Tue-Sun from 10:00 to 18:00
Entrance fee: 5 Euro;
How to get there:
By train: from Madrid Central Station ( Atocha station) to the El Escorial stop. To get to the palace, you have to walk about 15 minutes, or take a local bus.
By bus: Bus lines 661 and 664. Departure from Moncloa Station. Moncloa is located at station 3 of line (yellow).
Visit after Escorial:
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The Escorial was built by the Spanish king Philip II in honor of the victory at Saint-Quentin in 1557 over the troops of the French king Henry II. The king of Spain vowed, in case of victory, to build a monastery that would surpass all existing monasteries in its splendor.
King Philip II was a very pious man, honored the memory of his ancestors, could not stand the bustle of the capital and adored solitude. He wished that the Escorial corresponded to his inclinations, and the whole complex became at the same time not only a monastery of the order of the Hieronymites, but also the burial place of the Spanish kings (originally Charles V of Habsburg and Isabella of Portugal) and the royal palace. The desire of the king was fulfilled, and the result was a grandiose palace-monastery-necropolis, the personification of the "Golden Age" of Spain, although its architecture is dominated by the influence of Italian and Flemish architecture.
A whole expedition was looking for a place for Escorial during the year, it was found in 1560 (according to other sources - at the end of 1562).
In 1563, work began under the direction of the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo (1563-1657), who created overall plan complex and the design of almost all rooms. Central location it was occupied by a huge cathedral - a symbol of faith of the king, emphasizing the primacy of religion in the politics of the monarch and Spain. The plan of the Jerusalem Temple, drawn up according to the descriptions of Josephus Flavius, was taken as the basis for the planning of the monastery.
By 1571, the monastery was almost completed, in 1572 work began on the royal palace, and in 1574 on the cathedral, which was completed in 1584 and consecrated in honor of St. Lawrence: the battle of Saint-Quentin took place on August 10, on this saint's day. The day of the consecration of the cathedral was supposed to mark the end of work on the entire architectural complex, although it continued to be completed for another ten years.
After the death of de Toledo, the final decoration of Escorial was carried out by another famous architect Juan Bautista de Herrera (1567-1586), who tried to add more "Spanish" motives to it. He did significant work: he increased the size of the building, doubled the number of its floors, united all four facades with a common cornice, designed the church and built an infirmary.
Philip II personally supervised the progress of construction. After the construction was completed, the king spent half a year in Escorial - until the end of his life, constantly replenishing the collection of works by Spanish and European painters, as well as valuable books and manuscripts.
The successors of the king did not experience religious awe before Escorial and visited him for two or three weeks a year, although they continued to expand the collection of paintings. The successors of Philip II tried not to destroy the integrity of the architectural ensemble, only in the 17th century. Philip IV completed the royal tomb.
Since the 1570s and up to the middle of the 17th century. the architecture of the Escorial was considered a reference for the whole of Spain, similar buildings appeared outside of it.
The Escorial palace and monastery complex is located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula, in the southern foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama massif.
Many contemporaries found an undoubted similarity between Escorial and his creator - the king of Spain, a closed and strict man.
In terms of the Escorial is a severe, cold, gloomy, lonely standing rectangle with towers in the corners, with courtyards. The construction is dominated by straight lines, with occasional inclusions of ovals and semicircles. Even when choosing paintings and frescoes, King Philip II demanded that individual works of art should not stand out, corresponding to the general severity of the ensemble, for which the El Escorial was later called "monotonous".
The massive building itself, built of bluish-gray granite, devoid of external decorations (the exception is the tomb), although it seems monotonous, in harmony with the rocky, bare plain, nevertheless looks quite vividly against the backdrop of mountain greenery.
The main facade of Escoriape faces east, it has three portals, the middle one, the main one, is decorated with a statue of St. Lawrence.
The palace also seems monotonous and deliberately ascetic, like the facade of the entire structure, but its interiors are richly decorated with sculptures and frescoes of the 16th-18th centuries.
The walls of the monastery, to which a large staircase leads, are decorated with many frescoes by Giordano, the interiors feature great amount painting works. The plots of these works are devoted to a topic in which King Philip II had a special interest. In addition to the many images of the Virgin Mary from the paintings, the emaciated and distorted faces of the Savior, saints, and martyrs who are being tortured look at visitors.
Also in the Escorial are paintings by the greatest masters of all time: “The Martyrdom of St. Mauritius” by El Greco, “Christ on the Cross” by Titian, “The Torment of the Savior” and “The Torment of the Apostle James” by de Navarrete. Historians explain such a specific meeting by the need to maintain in the believers the spirit of resistance to the Reformation, which in the time of Philip II posed a great threat to the Catholic Church.
The domed temple is the compositional center of the entire architectural ensemble; it was built on the model of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, which was completed almost at the same time that the construction of the Escorial began. The facade is decorated with six statues of Jewish kings, and the statues of David and Solomon are installed above the entrance and symbolize the militant Charles V and the wise Philip II; even the faces of the statues are given the features of the Spanish kings. Inside is the world-famous white marble statue of Christ by Benvenuto Cellini.
Nevertheless, for the Spaniards themselves, the 500 caskets located in the monastery, which contain more than 7 thousand relics of the Catholic Church, are of much greater value.
The richly painted monastery library contains tens of thousands of volumes of rare and valuable books, its walls and panels are decorated with frescoes by Carducci and Pellegrino.
The tomb "Pantheon" is made in a somewhat unexpected baroque style for such a strict building. It contains 26 marble tombstones under which Spanish kings from the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties are buried, with the exception of Philip V and Ferdinand VI. King Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) and his wife Queen Victoria were the last to be buried here.
There is also the tomb "Infant", it contains the ashes of princes, princesses, infantes and childless queens.
In 1984 Escorial was included in the List world heritage UNESCO.
general information
Location: central Spain.official status: Historic residence of the King of Spain Escorial.
Administrative affiliation: City of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, District of Cuenca del Guadarrama, Province of Madrid, Autonomous Community of Madrid, historical area New Castile, Spain.
Nearest city: San Lorenzo de El Escorial - 18,241 people (2014).
Start of construction: 1563
Completion of construction: 1584
Language: Spanish.
Ethnic composition: Spaniards.
Religion: Catholicism.
Currency unit: euro.
Numbers
Length: 200 m.Width: 156 m.
The height of the dome of the cathedral: 95 m.
Courtyards: 16.
Hieronymite monks (before exile): about 100.
Number of volumes in the library: 45 500.
January average temperature: +6°С.
July average temperature: +25°С.
Average annual rainfall: 430 mm.
Relative humidity: 60%.
Attractions
The architectural complex of the Historic residence of the King of Spain Escorial
Outer wall (XVI century), cathedral (1582), monastery with the royal palace and college (1584), library (1592), tomb "Pantheon" (completed in 1654), Casita del pavilions -Infante (1771-1773) and Casita del Principe (1772), the tomb of the Infant (completed in 1888), the Pinacoteca art gallery, the Museum of Architecture, the gardens of Jardines de los Frailes ("Monastery Gardens").
Curious facts
■ The Battle of Saint-Quentin 1557 - one of the largest battles in the war between the Habsburg and Valois dynasties 1551-1559. for land in France and Italy. The Spaniards, in alliance with the British and the Duke of Savoy, Emmanuel Philibert, defeated the French. However, all the warring parties suffered huge losses: Spain and France even refused to pay their debts, which later became a classic example of a medieval “default”.■ The name Escorial comes from the Spanish word escoria (“slag”), in ancient times there was a forge and foundries here.
■ The Order of the Hieronymites fell into disgrace and was expelled from the monastery three times in 1808, 1837 and 1854, until finally in 1885 the monastery was transferred to the Augustinian order, who still occupy it today. But officially the entire complex is managed by the administration of the State National Heritage Foundation (Patrimonio Nacional), which manages all the real estate of the King of Spain.
■ To our time, from the previously powerful and numerous monastic order of the Hieronymites, there was only one monastery of El Parrapy in the Spanish city of Segovia. The order itself was almost completely destroyed during the Napoleonic wars of 1799-1815.
■ Saint Lawrence (circa 225-258) was a Spaniard, and his compatriots especially honored his martyrdom: he was roasted alive by the Romans on an iron grate for refusing to worship pagan gods. Main architector Juan Bautista de Toledo, at the request of King Philip II, planned the Escorial in such a way that, due to the walls between the courtyards, the complex evokes associations with the lattice on which Saint Lawrence died.
■ City of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where the architectural complex, colloquially referred to as Escoriap de Arriba (Upper Escorial), to distinguish it from the palace-monastery called Escorial de Abajo (Lower Escorial).
■ The Escorial burned more than once, the largest fires occurred in 1671 (when the structure of the entire roof had to be changed), 1731, 1763 and 1825.
■ Architect Juan Bautista de Toledo began his career as an architect in Rome, doing work for the great Michelangelo and Pope Paul III. He has the honor of completing the façade and courtyard of the famous Roman Palazzo Farnese.
■ Working on the final stage of the project, the architect Juan Bautista de Herrera developed a distinctive style characterized by the rigor of architectural forms and the absence of decorations. For this, the style was called "unadorned" ("desomamentado"), better known as the "herreresco" style - after the name of the author.
■ The ashes of Don Juan of Austria (1547-1578) - the Spanish commander, the illegitimate son of Charles V and Barbara Blumenberg, the daughter of the burgomaster German city Regensburg. In his will, Charles V recognized don Juan as his son, and Philip II, who sacredly honored the memory of his father, called don Juan to court and treated him favorably.
■ Princes and princesses are not quite the same as infantas. Infante and Infanta - the title of princes and princesses of the royal houses of Spain and Portugal (until the liquidation of the Portuguese monarchy in 1910), except for the heirs to the throne.
I have only one day left to explore the surroundings of the Spanish capital ...
The contenders for a one-day trip from Madrid included the palaces of La Granja and Aranjuez, but the soul asked for something special. I don’t want to show off, but judge for yourself, what can be surprised after our Peterhof and the Hermitage? Parks more luxurious than the first have not yet been invented (especially for the month of March!), And I visit royal palazzos like the second from an early age. But the legendary complex of the royal palace and monastery is something new. There was no doubt, Escorial was waiting for me!
How to get to Escorial from Madrid
By bus- simple and convenient. Travel time is 55 minutes, there are quite a lot of flights on weekdays, and many times less on weekends. Departure from the Moncloa bus station, where there is a direct metro line from the center of Madrid, arrival in Escorial at the local bus station (estasion de autobuses), which is a 5-minute walk from the monastery. Two buses are suitable for the trip, numbers 661 and 664, the schedule can be found by entering one or another route number. Tickets are sold directly from the driver, the price is 4.20 euros one way (as for a bus trip through the 5 transport zones of Madrid and suburbs: here from A to C1). Plus 3 euros for a metro ticket to the bus station and back if you do not have a special travel card.
By train- uncomfortable and with its subtleties. Travel time is a little over an hour, departure 1-2 times per hour. The Cercanias railway, which is included in the city's metro system (), leads to Escorial. You will need the C-3 line, which passes through the Sol and Atocha stations in the center of Madrid. Interestingly, sometimes the same line is referred to as C-8, so it is important to look at the board above the platform, where the final station is indicated: on the way there - El Escorial (possibly also Santa Maria), and back - Aranjuez (or sometimes Atocha). The train schedule is on the commuter train website, but do not count on punctuality, delays happen. Tickets are sold only on the day of departure at special Cercanias ticket offices or at vending machines with the same logo railway. Price - 4.05 euros one way (as for a railway ticket for a trip through 6 zones: from zero to C1). In Escorial, the train station is located 2 km from the monastery. This distance can be walked through the park or the new part of the city (about 30 minutes), but the road climbs uphill, so the walk can be difficult, especially if it's hot or in bad weather. Still, it’s better to drive a couple of stops on the local bus number 1 (for 1.30 euros one way), if you can find it))) This is also not easy, because there are no signs in the station area (neither to the bus, nor to the monastery), so it’s better to ask the locals, the main thing is not to get confused in the names: El Escorial is the town around the station, and the monastery is San Lorenzo de el Escorial (but for simplicity, continue to call it Escorial).
This time I had to take the train, because my fellow traveler does not tolerate buses well. At the Sol metro station closest to the hotel, we bought tickets from a machine (nothing complicated in English) and sat down to wait. However, the train did not arrive on time, and there were no messages on the scoreboard and, as it seemed to me, on the speakerphone. It was completely incomprehensible whether it was possible to walk around the city for an hour before the next train, or whether it was worth waiting. We chose the second one and were not mistaken: the train arrived in 20 minutes. In Escorial, I also had to suffer with navigation, but in the end one of the natives helped, but on the way back, the problem was already in calculating the time to the train: for some reason, the road to the station seemed endless. In general, I recommend taking the bus if possible, it's easier!
Outwardly, the Escorial looks impressive
Visiting the museum complex: organizational issues
The most important thing One thing to remember is not to come to El Escorial on Monday when the museum is closed! The rest of the time, he works from 10 to 18 or until 20, depending on the season, details at the link.
with tickets it's simple:
— common price – 10 €,
- preferential (children under 16 and students under 25, with a passport or ISIC, respectively) - 5 €,
- free of charge - May 18 and October 12 (I can imagine how many people there!) And children under 5 always.
Museum navigation- a big problem. When I asked if it was possible to get a plan of the palace along with the ticket (as, for example, they give in the Hermitage), at the box office they answered me “it is forbidden to take pictures”))) Knowledge in English in one of the main museums of the country on top! Then it turned out that such a scheme does not exist in principle, that is, wander around as you like, or take an audio guide.
Audio guide- the main part of the navigational nightmare. The cost of the service is only 3 euros, there is a Russian-language version. However, so that tourists do not try to save money and take one device for two, only one earphone is provided. So if next to you is group tour(and hardly in Russian!), then you will involuntarily listen to it with one ear. Further more - the audio guide is a (expensive?) tablet, therefore, a passport is required as a deposit for it, which, according to the rules (see the last page of the document), is not recommended to give to anyone, but I generally prefer to leave it under lock and key in the hotel and take it with me copy. As an alternative, I was offered to leave credit card))) Yes, yes, and also the key to the apartment where the money is! As a result, they agreed that they would swipe my card through the computer reader, and when the tablet was returned, they would delete its data from the system. Eh, I should have taken an empty credit card with me, but who knew?! Other deposit options are any photo ID (you can take some unnecessary pass) or hotel keys (any keys with a numbered key fob will do).
However, that's not all the fun! It turned out that such a sophisticated audio guide is suitable only as an information guide, but it is almost unsuitable for navigating the museum. All the halls in the tablet are divided into thematic groups, but in reality it is not clear how to move between these groups. Due to the ill-conceived route, I randomly wandered around the complex, missing some of the important rooms. Then I had to collect "loses", but I still did not understand whether I managed to see everything or not. So it’s not for nothing that Escorial was called an architectural nightmare! Perhaps it is better to look for his scheme on the Internet in advance and spit on this unnecessary audio guide.
The main facade of the Escorial
Take pictures in Escorial is strictly prohibited, even without a flash. As it turned out later, this is a favorite rule of all the expensive museums in Madrid, but I only went, so I was not in the know. The observance of the "charter" in each hall is monitored by growling Cerberus (oh, that's who we pay a salary when buying a ticket!): I was even pestered for filming a view of the garden from the window of the palace. So if you want to take away a small photo report from Escorial, get ready for a game of catch-ups.
Comfortable conditions to inspect the halls - this is also not about Escorial. I was there in mid-March, when the thermometer showed +25 outside, but inside the complex it was wildly cold, even a jacket did not save me. It may be nice to cool off in the museum in the summer after the 40-degree heat, but the rest of the time I advise you to dress as warmly as possible in order to withstand a 2-3-hour audio tour. And my salvation was the sunny courtyard, where I had to constantly return to warm up a little.
The same sunny courtyard of the Escorial and the facade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo
What to see in the Escorial Museum Complex
I confess, once I froze from the mere word of Escorial. The legendary and grandeur of the complex was amazing, although I didn’t really even know what was hidden inside. It turned out that this was the case when the size does not matter, the main thing is the content! And the last one just let us down, but on the other hand, I learned forever: you should not be fooled by loud names.
So, what is worth seeing and not losing (thanks to the audio guide) in Escorial?
Library- the most beautiful thing in the whole museum. They say that her wealth can only be compared with the "book sister" in the Vatican, but the main thing here is not even that, but the ceiling! An incredibly huge fresco of several hundred square meters with magnificent lighting is what attracts the eye.
tomb where almost all the kings, queens, princes and princesses of Spain are buried since 1586. Interestingly, only three tombs are now empty in the pantheon, but even those are already “booked”: they will be occupied by the last dead members of the royal family after a 50-year wait in the “decomposition room”, as provided for by the still valid medieval tradition. It turns out that there is no place for the living monarchs, and this issue still remains unresolved!
Escorial Library
Escorial Pantheon (the most beautiful part of those that were allowed to photograph)
Royal chambers- quite modest, which is clearly not expected from the status of the Escorial, but, as the "customer" of the complex, Philip II, said, he built "a palace for God and a hut for the king." Aha, so the religious part should abound in beauties!
But no! Basilica of San Lorenzo- the only part of Escorial open to the public, belonging to the monastery, however, even there everything is very ascetic, stern and even sad. Perhaps this is the ugliest cathedral I have ever seen in Spain.
Architectural and art museums- unexpectedly turned out to be more interesting than some parts of Escorial. The first exposition tells about the construction of the complex itself, and the second is an art gallery with works by such masters as Bosch, Veronese, Tintoretto, Van Dyck and others.
Royal chambers (I chose the most beautiful part of them)
I would also like to note front staircase palace and several beautiful galleries which you definitely won't miss. But what can be lost is room with a secret(it’s called something like that), the first one at the entrance from the courtyard. It looks like an ordinary walk-through room, so be sure to ask the museum staff about its features: they are always on duty there and, unlike the others, they will gladly tell you how to find the secret.
What else to see in Escorial
In addition to the palace-monastery, it is worth looking into the Garden of the Monks, which is located right under the walls of the complex. You can enter here for free, but note that the gates open on a schedule that almost coincides with the museum. Broken at the entrance to the garden big pond with swans and goldfish, and in the farthest part, smug peacocks roam about, completely unwilling to pose for a photograph. And from here you can see the picturesque mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama and the monastic orchards.
Garden of the Monks in Escorial, somewhere down there live peacocks
Orchards of Escorial overlooking the Sierra de Guadarrama
I have almost no doubt that after the Escorial Museum you will still have a lot of time left, so be sure to take a walk around the pretty town of the same name. Not that there are any attractions, but it is worth spending at least half an hour wandering through the cozy quiet streets climbing the hillside. By the way, along the way, you can go for a map at the local information point, which is located under the arch-bridge in the house opposite the entrance to the monastery.
Where to eat in Escorial
It is unlikely that anyone will be surprised if I say that there was also a problem with food in Escorial))) However, here fortune smiled at me and immediately led me to the right place! In Piazza Jacinto Benavente (which is on the steps) next to bookstore Centro Coliseo on the right in the corner lurks a small bistro, whose white umbrellas stand right there on the street. As always, the menu was only in Spanish, but after the question about English, a miracle happened ... after learning where I came from, the owner of the cafe grabbed the phone and then handed me the phone: on the other end of the wire they spoke Russian with an accent and were ready to immediately translate all (!) menu))) Both "good Samaritans" turned out to be Bulgarians, and one of them still remembered what he was taught in the school of the Soviet period. Prices in the cafe, of course, corresponded to the center tourist place: a tortilla (Spanish omelet), a lomo sandwich (this is what is cooler than jamon) and two drinks cost 13 euros, but this figure included the services of an interpreter!
Escorial: to be or not to be?
After the baroque, gothic and Moorish beauties of Toledo and Segovia, Escorial seemed just boring block of stone both in shape and color. The interior decoration brightened up this impression a little, but the luxurious interiors of the Serralbo Museum in Madrid and the Segovia Alcazar, of course, are still very far from the monastery. Therefore, after visiting it, I rightly thought, was it worth it to go there at all? I will say this: if you are a big fan of royal residences and have already seen the rest of the sights near Madrid, you can stop by Escorial. However, given the opportunity to replay everything, I personally would not include this place in a week-long trip to Central Spain.
Epilogue of the whole trip
In conclusion, I would like to say not very literary, but self-critical: in fact, I snickered! Again I return to what
