HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

Monasterio y Sitio
de El Escorial en
Madrid
Monastery and Royal Site of San
Lorenzo de El Escorial

Madrid, Spain

PRESENTED BY:
CANTILERO, DARLYN FAITH
CHUA, CHARLS MARIS S.
MANALESE, CYAN
MERCADO, MARY AYESHA ROSSETH
VISCA, DEBORAH MAE F.
HISTORY
MONASTERIO Y SITIO DE
EL ESCORIAL EN MADRID
 PURPOSE
EL ESCORIAL,
OFFICIALLY KNOWN
AS THE ROYAL SITE
OF SAN LORENZO DE
EL ESCORIAL.

royal palace
monastery
museum
mausoleum

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

 To commemorate the
defeat of the French
at the Battle of St
Quentin on the day
of San Lorenzo(1563).
To fulfill the wishes
of Philip’s father,
Charles V, for the
construction of a
royal mausoleum/
burial place.

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

KING PHILIP II
 The Escorial was
completed in only 21
years (1563-1584)
The last stone was
placed in the presence
of Philip and his
children in September
1584.
It took 1,500 workmen
involved in the
construction.

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

In 1671, a fire devastated the
monastery and partially
destroyed its treasures.
In 1808, it was plundered by
Napoleon Bonaparte’s French
army.
In 1812, it was occupied by
English and Portuguese
troops as the French
retreated.

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

 ( Philip frequently made suggestions
and even supervised occasionally)

“Above all, do not forget what

I have told you: simplicity in
the construction, severity in
the whole, nobility without
arrogance, majesty without
ostentation” (Blue Bk. 303)..
2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02
 DISTANT, STERN, RESERVED

THIS DESCRIPTION CAN

BE APPLIED TO THE
INTERNAL
ARCHITECTURE WITH
FLUTED PILASTERS
ABOUT THE ONLY
DECORATIVE ELEMENT
IN WHAT IS CLASSICAL
SIMPLICITY OF SOLID
PILLARS, PERFECT
SEMICIRCULAR ARCHES
AND VAULTED CEILINGS.

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

The Escorial. Main Entrance on the West Façade.
THE DESIGNERS

Juan Bautista de Toledo Juan de Herrera

 THE DESIGNERS

Work started in April 1563 on a design by Juan

Bautista de Toledo, who had studied in Rome
and Naples.
In 1567, construction was taken over by his
assistant, Juan de Herrera
So, while Juan Bautista de Toledo initiated the
project, Juan de Herrera is often credited as the
principal architect responsible for the final
design and construction of El Escorial.

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

 FLOOR PLAN OF ES ELCORIAL

The floor plan of the building is in

the form of a gridiron. The
traditional belief is that this
design was chosen in honor of St.
Lawrence, who, in the third
century AD, was martyred by
being roasted to death on a grill.
 Perspective of the
Monastery from the west,
showing the main entrance
and the west Lonja at the
foreground

Detail of the Torre de la Enfermería, the

gardens, and the building of the Botica
surrounding a small patio. The arcade that
links the Botica with the Compaña is also
depicted
Detail of the southwest area
where the Claustro de la
Enfermería is lettered (RR),
the Torre
de la Botica (VV), and the
Galería de Convalecientes
(XX), opened up to the
Jardín de los Frailes.
 South Elevation

Detail of the Galeria de Convalecientes or

Corrdorcillos De Sol
 West Elevation

Detail of the western elevation of the botica with

a cross of the arcade that connects
 South Elevation

Detail of the Façades of the botica and the Galería

De Convalecientes facing to the orchards
CHARACTERISTICS
Renaissance Architecture

El Escorial is renowned for its impressive

Renaissance architecture and its significant
role in Spanish history. The complex houses a
vast library, beautiful basilica, and numerous
rooms adorned with art and historical artifacts.
CHARACTERISTICS
Herrerian Architecture

El Escorial is an important piece of Herrerian

architecture, named after its principal
architect Juan de Herrera. This style's
concentration on geometric shapes,
symmetry, a melancholy, and classical
aesthetic.
CHARACTERISTICS
Symmetrical

The complex is built in a brilliantly

symmetrical manner that reflects Renaissance
concepts of order and harmony. The main
structure is a big square, and the entire
complex is perfectly symmetrical.
CHARACTERISTICS
Monastery

El Escorial is a royal residence as well as a

monastery. With the royal family's dwelling
quarters, and a basilica all combined into one
huge complex, the architecture emphasizes
the convergence of multiple services.
CHARACTERISTICS
Basilica of the Escorial

El Escorial is a royal residence as well as a

monastery. With the royal family's dwelling
quarters, and a basilica all combined into one
huge complex, the architecture emphasizes
the convergence of multiple services.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Escorial Library

The Escorial Library was designed for royalty,

with a barrel vault crowning the main hall. It is
divided into seven zones, each with murals
symbolizing the seven liberal arts: trivium
(grammar, rhetoric, and dialectics) and
quadrivium (arithmetic, music, geometry, and
astronomy).
CHARACTERISTICS
The Royal Pantheon

The concept of a royal pantheon, which serves

as the final resting place for various Spanish
monarchs, adds to El Escorial's uniqueness.
 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Renaissance Architecture

SYMMETRY CLASSICAL ORDERS COURTYARDS

2024 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 02

 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Renaissance Architecture

DOMES RECTILINEAR LAYOUT USE OF STONE AND

STUCCO
0 || H
2024 D IESPTAORRTYMO
E FN TA R
OCF HHI T
I SETCOT R
UYR E 0 2
 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Renaissance Architecture

GEOMETRIC SHAPES
ORNAMENTAL DETAIL

0 || H
2024 D IESPTAORRTYMO
E FN TA R
OCF HHI T
I SETCOT R
UYR E 0 2
 ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
Renaissance Architecture

THE ROYAL LIBRARY THE RELIQUES THE HALL BATTLE

The main hall's ornamentation, The monument features frescoed
Philip II bequeathed the Monastery
painted in Mannerist Renaissance battles by Spanish armies, including
a great collection of over 7,500
style by Pellegrino Tibaldi. the Battle of La Higueruela in the
relics, which are stored in 507 boxes
south wall, the Battle of San Quintín in
or sculptural reliquaries
the northern wall, and the battle of Isla
Terceira in the extremes, showcasing
2024
0 || H
D IESPTAORRTYMO
E FN TA R
OCF HHI T
I SETCOT R
UYR E 0 2 the Spanish victory.
 ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
Renaissance Architecture

THE ESCORIAL THE ROYAL PANTHEON EL GRECO’S MARTYRDOM

CRUCIFIXION The Mausoleum is an elegantly and OF SAINT MAURICE
lavishly designed chamber in which
Also called “El Calvario” by Dutch gold is everywhere. This is where the The Martyrdom of Saint Maurice
painter Rogier Van der Weyden. It Kings and Queens of Spain are represents martyrdom through the
was his masterpiece that serves as buried starting with Charles V or
small group on the left, while the bold
the information about its history. Charles I in Spain who’s the father of
Philip II. group in the foreground, including
Saint Maurice, is boldly shown in a
2024
0 || H
D IESPTAORRTYMO
E FN TA R
OCF HHI T
I SETCOT R
UYR E 0 2 heroic Rome style.
MATERIALS
GRANITE: THE OUTER WALLS AND MUCH OF
THE STRUCTURE ARE BUILT FROM GRAY
GRANITE QUARRIED FROM THE NEARBY
GUADARRAMA MOUNTAINS. THIS GRANITE GRANITE WHITE STONE
GIVES EL ESCORIAL ITS DISTINCTIVE
APPEARANCE.
WHITE STONE: THE ORNATE DECORATIONS,
SCULPTURES, AND STATUES ARE OFTEN
MADE FROM WHITE STONE, WHICH
CONTRASTS WITH THE GRAY GRANITE
MARBLE: MARBLE IS USED EXTENSIVELY
FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING,
INCLUDING THE FLOORS, WALLS, AND
VARIOUS DECORATIVE ELEMENTS.
WOOD: EL ESCORIAL FEATURES MARBLE
BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED WOODEN CEILINGS,
WOOD
DOORS, AND OTHER INTERIOR ELEMENTS.
METAL: IRON AND OTHER METALS ARE
USED FOR VARIOUS FIXTURES, SUCH AS
RAILINGS AND CHANDELIERS. METAL
 Today, El
Escorial also
serves as the final
resting place for
many Spanish
monarchs.

El Escorial is a
UNESCO World
Heritage Site and
a popular cultural
and historical
attraction in
Spain.
THANK YOU!