Monasterio de El Escorial

Unique masterpiece

Address:

San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Alcalá, 237
28200 - Outside Madrid
Madrid

Nearest Bus or Train:

Serrano

Open Hours:

Apr-Sep: Tu-Su 10a-6p; Oct-Mar: Tu-Su 10a-5p

This historic complex is divided into three parts: the monastery (with Lucas Jordán's frescoes), the royal mausoleum, and the palace. The palace's magnificent rooms are decorated with paintings by Titian, El Greco, and Claudio Coello, as well as wonderful 18th-century furniture. The library contains a fascinating collection of manuscripts and the Museum of Painting and Architecture is worth a look. Felipe II commissioned Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera to build everything between 1563 and 1584 to commemorate Spanish victory in the battle of San Quintín (1557). Transport: 50km by car from Madrid on N-VI then M-505 roads. Regular trains every day from Madrid's railway stations and buses from Moncloa.

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