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Published: September 12th 2010
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This weekend was another opportunity to take a side trip out to El Escorial. Only about 45 minutes outside Madrid, we again went with Professor Alex as our guide (and this time it was only him because the group was smaller... in case you read my Segovia post).
El Escorial is the site of the very historical palace where the kings of Spain ruled for about a century in the 16th and 17th century as well as a monastery. It was built in the mid 1500's, at the height of the Spanish empire by King Phillip II who wanted a central place to rule his vast empire from (unlike his father Charles, who was a roaming and fighting King, Phillip chose to remain and rule from one location) as well as a place to build a tomb where all future kings would be buried including himself and his father.
The place itself is huge and is the site of many firsts. First, the site was the only site for an European empire capital that was chosen as opposed to growing from it's important location (ex. Paris has the river coming through it, Lisbon is on the edge of the
Looking Out over the Valley
With our Spanish friend Louis, Junting, and Hansika ocean... but El Escorial is in the middle of nowhere). King Phillip II liked the central location in his empire and the clean mountain air that doctors said was better for him. The palace was designed by an Italian architect who used a fusion of Renaissance style architecture with traditional Spanish influence. The palace only took 20 years to build mostly thanks to the invention of the first version of a revolving crane that allowed multiple walls to be built using one lifting device that would swivel. This was also the first building that really housed an enormous bureaucracy (think the White House, Congress, and FBI all in one building) all in one place that was needed to run the incredibly vast empire.
We walked through many parts of the building including the very modest and simple private residence of the king and queen whose separate rooms backed up to the chapel so that they could always hear mass being said (they were very religious people). We also walked down to the Pantheon of the Kings, where the important kings and their mothers have their tombs. There is still a space for the dad of the current king who's
Building Materials
Original rope from the 15th century and a clamp tool used to build the palace. It only took 20 years to build! remains will be placed in there as well. The tombs are directly beneath the basilica and are in a beautifully decorated, but simple marble circular room. It is believed the the current kings' dad's remains will be the last be to be placed in their however.
We finished the tour of the palace in the library. King Phillip II was a very well read man and had a library of over 100,000 volumes of books most of which are still there (but in vaults rather than displayed). The library was the most beautiful library I had ever seen and used the paintings on the ceiling for the simple categorizing system. Unlike the very complicated Dewy Decimal system we have now, there were only 7 categories (Logic, Rhetoric, Math, Astronomy, Music, and I can't remember the other 2) and the books feel beneath the appropriate category under the paintings.
We had a couple hours to explore the very small and quint town and get lunch. After lunch, we took a short bus ride up to a ridge that overlooks El Escorial. It was from here that King Phillip II was carried (as he was very ill from Gout most
of his life and eventually died from it) to a stone chair that he could overlook the development of Escorial. It offered great views. We had to laugh at our luck though because most people can just drive up to the ridge, get out and take pictures, but our bus couldn't fit on the road, so we had to walk up the ridge in the intense afternoon sun. It wasn't a long walk, but we were very surprised to see all these cars at the top when we got there as we thought everyone just walked...
INTERESTING FACT: It was very interesting to learn that as the huge number of people that were needed to run the empire began to settle with their families in El Escorial, many didn't like it there because the winters were very cold in the mountains. Most found it more comfortable down in the valley at a small outpost in the middle of the plateau called Madrid. And from there, Madrid grew into the capital city it is now.
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Bob Armstrong
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Buen trabajo, amigo
Todd It has been great to read all your blogs up to now!!!! This summer we went to Madrid, Segovia, El Escorial etc. also so it was fun to read your perspective on them. Sounds like the perfect blend of study, fun and travel adventure!!!! Keep on blogging and don't forget to visit Salamanca before you leave Spain.. Hasta entonces Sr. Armstrong