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| The Monastery of El Escorial |
He was looking for a good place in the mountains close to Madrid to commemorate the victory in the battle of Saint Quentin (that happened in France in 1557, August 10th, feast day of Saint Lawrence). At the same time the place could include an elegant burial place for his father, the Emperor Charles I, (died in 1558), his mother, his first wife, and many other members of the Habsburg family, as well as for him in future. He was planning a huge building, with the pantheon, a big basilica (so they could have masses in the memory of the deceased), a monastery for 100 monks, an impressive library and a palace where he could live sometimes. And it would be devoted to Saint Lawrence, so to commemorate the battle of Saint Quentin.
His assistants gave him several options for locations, but he was interested in El Escorial because of a dark story he has had heard about it...
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| The Monastery of El Escorial |
Studying the location on different maps, they realized that place was at the same parallel than Rome. What a coincidence! When the king found that out, he decided it was the perfect place. (Today we know Rome is at parallel 41st and El Escorial at number 40th, but in that time, they thought there were exactly the same). Rome was the heart of the Catholic faith, and El Escorial would be a new symbol. Same position to symbolize the same moral importance. He was more Catholic than the Pope!
So, finally Philip II decided to seal the devil’s exit, purify the place and set this religious building, an evidence of the Catholic power but above all, his power. It is full of meaning and hidden symbols and we welcome you to discover more curiosities and legends about the fascinating Monastery of El Escorial!
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Theme Tours and Escorial Tours
