REAL MONASTERIO DE SAN LORENZO DE EL ESCORIAL

The story goes that King Philip II built the monastery after he accidentally destroyed a church dedicated to San Lorenzo during a battle. But the real reason for the construction lies more in the king's piety and his desire to create a pantheon for the kings of Spain. The political motive was also predominant: to ensure the authority of the House of Austria. Construction began in 1563 by architect Juan Bautista de Toledo (before his death four years later), and was completed in 1584 under the direction of his disciple Juan de Herrera. Although it took 21 years to build, the 33,327^m2 monastery boasts no fewer than 16 patios, 88 fountains, 13 oratories, 15 cloisters, 86 staircases, 9 towers, 1,200 doors and... 2,673 windows! This majestic edifice was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on November 2, 1984. Once inside the monastery, you cross a courtyard before entering the basilica. As you enter, note the choir's flat ceiling, which seems strangely unsupported, and the white marble Christ by Benvenuto Cellini. It's one of the few things in the cold, dark basilica that's permanently lit. The side decoration is the work of Italian artists: the sculptures are attributed to Leone and Pompeo Leoni (father and son), as are the two groups representing Charles V with his family and Philip II with three of his wives (it should be noted that Mary Tudor is excluded). You can also take a stroll through some of the monastery's courtyards; the most striking are undoubtedly the Claustro Grande, adorned with frescoes depicting the life of the Virgin by Tibaldi, and the Jardin de los Frailes. The sacristia (sacristy) and salas capitulares (chapter rooms) house the majority of the monastery's religious treasures, including a series of paintings by Titian, Velázquez and José de Ribera. Below the sacristy, a staircase leads down to the Panteon Real (Royal Pantheon), where all Spanish kings since Charles V, with the exception of Philip V and Ferdinand VI, are laid to rest. Alfonso XIII, who died in exile in Rome, was recently returned to his ancestors. The late monarchs lie in sumptuous marble tombs: the kings (and Isabel II) on one side, their wives on the other. Next to the entrance is the Pudreria, a secluded chamber where the bodies of the deceased decompose for around twenty years before their skeletons are cleaned and placed in the Pantheon. The children of the monarchs, who died in infancy, are kept in the Panteón de los Infantes. Continuing our tour, we come to the second-floor library, a truly grandiose room, surrounded by shelves designed by Herrera, in harmony with the architecture, and frescoes attributed to Tibaldi and his assistants, representing the seven Arts. Among the many works on display here are the Codex Albeldensis, St. Teresa's personal notebook, some richly decorated Arabic manuscripts and a Florentine planetarium from 1572 illustrating the course of the planets according to the principles of Ptolemy and Copernicus. A unique collection for a monastery that's a must-see when venturing near the Spanish capital...