Royal Monastery of El Escorial

About this place

Philip II commissioned this vast complex in the 16th century, combining a royal residence, monastery and burial place. Its restrained Renaissance architecture links monarchy and religion. Notice how the monumental scale and repeated windows create an impression of order and royal power. Built between 1563 and 1584, the complex also housed a library and spaces for education, showing that it was more than a place to live or pray. Its many functions help explain the immense footprint. Reading the building as a small institutional world makes its repeated courtyards and long façades easier to understand.