El Escorial

El Escorial is a famous royal site in Spain. It was built in the late 1500s. El Escorial is a monastery, a royal palace, a museum and a school. It is located about 45 km (28 mi) northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Five miles from the main building is a hunting lodge called Granjilla de La Fresneda, which is also part of the Escorial.

Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
A distant view of the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Location	San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain
Coordinates	40°35′20″N 4°08′52″W
Architect	Juan Bautista de Toledo
Governing body	Ministry of the Presidency
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name: Monastery and Site of the Escorial, Madrid
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv
Designated	1984 (8th session)
Reference no.	318
State Party	Spain
Region	Europe and North America
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Monasterio de San Lorenzo
Type	Real property
Criteria	Monument
Designated	3 June 1931
Reference no.	(R.I.) - 51 - 0001064 - 00000
Location of Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Community of Madrid

Architecture

The building was designed by the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo to the plans of King Philip II. El Escorial is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a very popular tourist attraction.

El Escorial was one of 100 finalists for the 12 Treasures of Spain in 2007.

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Other websites

• El Escorial site
• El Escorial Monastery - History and Photos
• Maps showing areas of outstanding natural beauty, educational, scientific or cultural importance in Spain Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
• El Escorial tourist and travel connexions guide (Eng) Archived 2014-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
• Quevedo, Jose (1849). Historia del real monasterio de San Lorenzo. Estab. tip. de Mellado.