Monastero di San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Historia

The Monastero di San Lorenzo is the religious centrepiece of the complex, alongside La Granjilla de la Frasneda, a monastic retreat five kilometres away. Built in the 16th Century by reigning King Philip II - the site’s only Royal resident - El Escorial first housed a community of Hieronymite monks. The building became a Monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine.

The complex sits at the foot of Mt Abantos, about 45 kilometres from the country’s capital, Spain. A grand edifice on the site commemorates Spanish victory over France in 1557. First broken ground in 1563 the building was finally completed in 1584

A UNESCO WOrld Heritage Site since 1984, El Escorial is visited by over half a million tourists a year.