Skip to main content

San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Monastery of El Escorial
It's been ages since my first visit to the monastery of El Escorial. What impressed me most then were the long corridors and one particular door with a low clearing so you would have to stoop so low to pass through. Or else.....

I was delighted to discover that I could go to San Lorenzo de El Escorial by taking one of the suburban trains from Chamartin. And the trip took less than an hour and costs 8.10€ roundtrip. So I took off one sunny afternoon to rediscover this old town. What struck me as we approached El Escorial were the spectacular mountains which dominated the landscape. Little did I realize that when I opted to walk to the monastery that I would be climbing up a thousand meters to the foot of Mount Abantos in the Sierra de Guadarrama. So I panted uphill all the while thinking, will I ever get there? I found out later on that I took the roundabout way along Avenida de Los Reyes Catolicos but what the heck. It was a good exercise which I badly needed after the overindulgence of the last couple of weeks.

The plaza in front of El Escorial was buzzing with children who were just released from school when I finally arrived. Soon they were joined by the older students whose classrooms occupy a wing of the massive and austere monastery. How lucky these kids are to learn history where it unfolded! It was in 1563 when Philip II initiated the construction of El Escorial which would serve as the pantheon of his father, Charles V, as well as a monastery and a royal palace. By the time construction was finished in 1584, the monastery also included a church and a college. The Royal Library was completed in 1592.

Royal Basilica
From the Patio de Los Reyes, you can view the façade of the Basilica which is adorned with the statues of the Kings of Judah. David and Solomon are at the center of the frontispiece. I didn't bother to go inside the monastery because it was late and I was eager to see the gardens. Formal gardens surround the palace and extend downhill to the Casita del Principe. As it turns out, the Prince's Paseo is the shortcut to the train station. What a pleasurable walk I had under the canopy of autumn tinted trees!

Paseo del Principe
There are several trails within the gardens of the Casita del Principe. The casita or house was built for the future king of Spain, Charles IV. It was meant as a retreat for the Prince where he could get away from the rigors of palace life. Trees line these paseos (14 in all, according to a map on site) and it's a breathe of fresh air to be in these surroundings. 

The Casita del Principe is a Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage) and the Monastery and Site of El Escorial is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...
Read more

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...
Read more

The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina

Church of the Beheading of St. John, Arbore Monastery Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Romania lies the enchanting region of Bucovina, home to a treasure trove of stunning monasteries. The Painted Monasteries of Bucovina, collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a testament to the region's rich history, spirituality and artistic genius. One of the most visited monasteries in Bucovina is Voronet. It was commissioned by Stefan the Great, Voivode of Moldova and one of its most admired rulers. Moldova was  a medieval state that once encompassed parts of present-day Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova. Voronet  was built in 1488 to commemorate his victory over the Ottoman Turks in the Battle of Vaslui and it was miraculously completed in three months time. Succeeding  princes of Moldova continued the construction of more magnificent monasteries. The exterior walls of these structures were adorned with intricate frescoes, depicting biblical scenes, saints, and...
Read more