Escorial, El
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Monastery and palace standing over 900 m/2,953 ft above sea level on a southeastern slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, 42 km/26 mi northwest of Madrid, Spain. El Escorial was built (1563–84) for Philip II. It was designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo (assistant to Michelangelo at St Peter's, Rome (1546–48)) and Juan de Herrera (c. 1530–97).
It was dedicated to St Lawrence, on whose day in 1557 the Spaniards defeated Henry II of France at St Quentin. The immense structure, built of granite and measuring 207 m/679 ft by 161 m/528 ft, is shaped to resemble the gridiron on which St Lawrence was martyred.
This austere monastery-cum-palace became the favoured dwelling of Philip II. It was here that he gathred together his collection of paintings (including, in particular, works by Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco.
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