Around early December (yes I am quite far behind) I hopped a local train out of Madrid to head North about an hour to El Escorial (full name is Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial). I knew very little about it, but a coworker recommended it for a great day trip. It was raining badly so I didn't want to venture too far out of Madrid, so I figured "what the hell" and just went. Maybe it was my initial low expectations, but it ended up being one of my favorite spots in all of Spain.
As I mentioned, it was raining like crazy in Madrid. The easiest way up North was to hop on a local commuter train which runs above ground. As we were leaving the city limits I noticed we were beginning to climb slightly, and within a half an hour the rain had turned to snow.
This seemed strange, to say the least. It was the first time I'd seen snow in Spain at all. Perpetually clear skies and lots of sun come to mind when I think of Spain...but here it was snowing right out my window. Other than wishing I had dressed a bit warmer, it was kind of exciting.
Although El Escorial is the name of the town, its most famous landmark, the Monastery, also goes by the same name. This provided me quite a bit of confusion when I walked off the train and saw no signs for anything resembling what I wanted. So I walked around a bit and asked some locals what appeared to them as stupid questions. They were kind enough to point me in the right direction.
At one point I entered a park and talked to a guard. He pointed me in a direction and said it was about a mile up, which meant I essentially had to cross the entire park. But I was still riding high from there being snow and didn't care.
Along the way I stopped and took this. As you can see there were not many people around that day (notice the lack of footprints).
Eventually I found the Monastery, at which point it was snowing hard. It still shocks me to think this picture was taken near Madrid.
And my favorite shot of the Monastery from across the street.
The building itself has been transformed over the centuries (common for many structures in Spain I've noticed), and although it was constructed as a monastery in 1595, it was also meant to house the king and his entourage on vacations. There is a whole host of cool things inside, and we'll get to soon.Here's the entrance, which I admit is pretty bland by Spanish standards. Especially for royalty.
Unfortunately photos were not allowed to be taken inside, so many of the following are not mine. I've given credit wherever possible, and I was able to sneak in a few for myself when the guards weren't looking.Hall of Battles
Our first stop was barely mentioned in my guidebook but was one of my favorite rooms. Called "The Gallery of Battles", it is a 55 meter (~180 feet) hallway which is entirely covered by frescoes. Philip II (the king at the time) had them commissioned to include famous battles during his reign. As such, there are 9 separate pieces each depicting a different battle of his war against France, plus 2 sea battles where he conquered Portugal. I found them all incredible not only for their size but also their detail. Notice, for instance, this entire wall is one single piece.
(F. Avila, 2007)Library
The library is often considered one of the most prized possessions of the grounds. Although it was built prior to his reign, Philip II gets credit for having it expanded to its current state. It houses over 40,000 works brought or lent from all over the ancient Spanish empire, including several original pieces in Latin, Greek, and Arabic.
The ceiling comprises of frescoes which represent Philosophy and Theology in large depictions on the ends with 7 additional and smaller pieces in the middle representing anything Grammar to Music to Astrology. The differences in sizes lends an insight into how religion still dominated academics (indeed, this was before Newton and the birth of Science altogether).
(ATPM - 2006)Royal Pantheon
The next picture explains the main reason why the Monastery is considered royal. One of its most important functions is to house the remains of all the Spanish kings, queens, and other royalty. After decomposing next door in the Pudridero ("Rotting Room"), they are transferred into urns. In this room are four centuries of monarchs, kings on the right and queens on the left, in chronological order. It's a circular room with a high domed ceiling; almost everything is made of marble, bronze, granite, and gold. Pictures cannot capture how beautiful it is.
Directly down the hall is the Infantes' Pantheon for other royalty, most notably princes and princesses. These span for several rooms but are mostly all done in white marble.
(Reenen, 2006)There is a separate piece (not shown) which at first glance looks like a very large wedding cake but is a twenty-sided structure which holds the remains of infant children. It was a little eerie to walk past that one.
There are other sections which include bedrooms for past kings (surprisingly not that big), a small collection of paintings, and a chapel. But none were quite as photogenic as the places above, and although the outer grounds were impressive, the snowstorm hindered me from getting anything good from the outside.
And there I am, freezing my butt off with a smile!
However, on a clear day the grounds apparently look more like this.
(Duran, 2007)Unfortunately there was originally a second part of the trip planned which I had to skip because I barely missed the last bus out. I don't know why but they stop running them around 3pm. Weird.
Still, a wonderful place to spend an afternoon if one happens to be in Madrid!
Additional photos may be found here.
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