Spain
El Escorial
This UNESCO-listed monastery influenced Spanish architecture for more than half a century, and became a symbol for the Spanish Golden Age.
About
In 1558, following the death of his father, Charles V, Felipe II commissioned the construction of the San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery, in the hopes of firmly establishing the House of Austria in Spain, creating an eternal memorial for his relatives, and to atone for the church dedicated to San Lorenzo destroyed in the Battle of San Quintin. Juan Bautista de Toledo oversaw the construction until his death in 1567, when Juan de Herrera took over the project. Among the many attractions, the pantheon where all the Spanish Hapsburg are entombed, the battles gallery, the basilica and the bourbon palace are particular highlights. El Escorial also houses one of the largest reliquaries in the world, and artwork by Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Velázquez, and others. The richly frescoed library contains over 40,000 priceless manuscripts, including the collection of the sultan Zidan Abu Maali, who ruled Morocco from 1603 to 1627.
Practical
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