Buildings, like poems or pictures, reflect the character of those who conceive and produce them. The Escorial may be likened to a document or a painting revealing the temperament, the aspirations, and the philosophy of a powerful, sombre, and withal, fascinating personality. Its severe form and its restrained embellishment are stamped with the individuality of the monarch who devoted the leisure of thirty years of his life to the erection, extension, improvement, and internal adornment of an immense and costly pile, comprising within its walls a monastery, a church, a burial-fane, a palace, a college, and a gallery of the arts. The Escorial was a place of retirement, an imposing hermitage for the devout and moody PhilipII.of Spain. It is a monumentto his power, a revelation of his mind; and, if we study the edifice, we shall learn what manner of man he was who founded it.
Ferdinand and Isabella consolidated Spain into one great empire, and under their grandson, CharlesV., the nation advanced in greatness, until it held sway over vast regions of the New World. When the Emperor Charles yielded sovereignty, in 1556, the sceptre passed to his son, Philip. Two years after, upon the death of the Emperor (Sept. 21, 1558), PhilipII.became ruler over the whole of the Spanish dominion at home and abroad.
The heir of CharlesV.was born at Valladolid on May 21, 1527. His mother was the Empress Isabella, daughter of Emanuel the Great of Portugal, and by his father he descended from Charles the Bold of Burgundy. Under the tutorship of Juan Martinez Siliceo, the young prince received his education at the celebrated University of Salamanca. He excelled in knowledge of the classics, and exhibited considerable linguistic talent, for he was able to write in Latin with facility and possessed an acquaintance with French and Italian. Architecture, painting, and sculpture interested the youth, and he studied mathematics.
His royal mother died when Philip was twelve years old. Four years later the prince was betrothed to the Infanta Mary, daughter of JohnIII.of Portugal and Catherine, sister of the Emperor CharlesV.In 1543 this desired alliance with Portugal was confirmed by the marriage of Philip to his cousin, the Infanta, in the city of Salamanca. Shortly after the ceremony, the young pair went to reside in Valladolid, and here was born to them a son, Don Carlos, whose mysterious death in captivity at the age of twenty-three remains unexplained.
In giving birth to her first child, the princess lost her life. Before the rejoicings of the nation at the birth of a prince were at an end, the country was startled by the death of the young mother, and gaiety was suddenly changed to mourning. From the Cathedral of Granada, where the body of the Princess Mary was buried, the remains were afterwards removed to the stately mausoleum of the Escorial, the resting-place for the bones of the royal family of Spain, which was erected by Philip many years later.
In 1554 PhilipII., not yet a sovereign, married Mary of England. The union was arranged by his father, CharlesV., and for a time the prince lived in England with his bride. Hewas, however, called upon to attend the Emperor in Flanders, and was absent from Mary until 1557, when he again visited England. His stay was a brief one, for he was summoned in less than four months to the Netherlands. In the following year Queen Mary died.
Upon the accession of Elizabeth to the throne of England, Philip of Spain received her assurances of amity. Not many weeks after the burial of Mary, Philip directed Feria, his ambassador in England, to propose, on his behalf, a matrimonial as well as a political alliance with Elizabeth. The queen replied that she must consult Parliament upon the subject, and that ‘should she be induced to marry, there was no man she should prefer to him.’ Philip wrote an affectionate letter to Elizabeth, declaring that he longed for the success of his ambassador’s mission. The Protestant Reformation, which swept over England, was, however, a sufficient bar to the marriage of Philip and Elizabeth. Philip expressed his disappointment when the final answer was received from England, but he still protested his friendship for Elizabeth, and hoped that amicable relations would continue between the two nations.
In 1559 Philip married the Princess Elizabethof France. It had been proposed that the princess should marry Don Carlos, the son and heir of Philip; but, for diplomatic reasons, it was considered more expedient that Elizabeth, who was only fourteen years of age, should wed with the king. The proposal came from France, and in reply to it, the Spanish envoys avowed that ‘notwithstanding their master’s repugnance to entering into wedlock, yet, from his regard to the French monarch, and his desire for the public weal, he would consent to waive his scruples and accept the hand of the French princess with the same dowry promised to his son Don Carlos.’
Tragedy attended the wedding festivities of Philip and Elizabeth of France. In the course of a tournament, arranged by Henry, father of the princess, a challenge was sent by that monarch to Lord Montgomery, a Scottish nobleman and captain of the king’s guard, renowned for his feats of arms. The queen begged the king to refrain from the encounter, but Henry commanded the unwilling Montgomery to prepare for the combat. At the first encounter the Scot pierced the visor of his opponent; the lance splintered, and a piece of it penetrated the eye of the king, who was borne from the arena by his attendants seriously wounded and unconscious.For ten days he lay in pain, and died on July 10, 1559, of his injury. His queen, Catherine de Medici, thus saw the fulfilment of her foreboding when she vainly besought the valorous Henry to abstain from further jousting.
The battle of St. Quintin, in August 1557, which saw the triumph of the Spanish arms over the French, was an event of extreme moment, and was the source of Philip’s resolve to erect the Escorial. In this engagement the Duke of Savoy, at the head of the Spanish troops, D’Egmont, in command of the Dutch and German horsemen and infantry, and Lord Pembroke with his force of British soldiers, defeated the army of France, and killed three thousand men. During the height of the battle, which was fought on the day dedicated to San Lorenzo, Philip besought the assistance of that saint, and vowed that if aid were vouchsafed, he would build a mighty and permanent monument to the deliverer.
The French general was the Duke de Nevers, who was assisted by the Constable of France, Montmorency. To Coligni, the great admiral, was given the task of augmenting the garrison of St. Quintin. The troops of France were nevertheless greatly outnumbered by the Spanish forces. Flemings, Englishmen, and Spaniards, incombined array, made desperate assault upon the defenders of St. Quintin. In a last rally the French formed squares, but the artillery of the Duke of Savoy broke up their ranks. Montmorency was among the prisoners who were seized by the Spanish, and it is recorded that he was treated with considerate courtesy.
It is probable that another motive in addition to gratitude to San Lorenzo actuated PhilipII.in building the monastery of the Escorial. He was under an obligation by the will of CharlesV.to erect a royal burial-place, and the example of his father in yielding the crown for the ascetic life of the cloister may have induced him to add a religious house to the mausoleum, and to provide a retreat for himself in the closing days of his reign. Whatever may have inspired the resolution, it is quite evident that the idea took passionate possession of the king’s mind, and that he spent vast treasure and much industry upon the work of rearing this extraordinary conglomerate pile.
The choice of a situation for the building accords with all that we know of Philip’s trend of thought and feeling in middle life. He was not hasty in determining the position for the upraising of his monument. The place must be solitary, stern,and amid impressive surroundings, where nature is seen in a mood of perennial musing and melancholy. No doubt the king wandered often in the wastes of Castile, among the rocks, the treeless plains, and the mountainous surrounding of Madrid, in quest of a suitable site for his hermitage and sanctuary. It was necessary, in a material sense, that the district should produce an abundance of stone of a durable quality.
How Philip came to fix upon this spur of the bleak Guadarrama is not precisely known. Probably his conception of the Escorial was that of an austere and plain building, which should, so far as possible, resemble the natural surroundings, and suggest a part of them rather than a contrast to their sternness. The retreat was to be no palace of gilded luxury, but a grim and majestic building consecrated to devotion, penance, and solemn reflection. Where could a more appropriate spot be found for the retirement of a recluse than among the encompassing crags, defiles, and peaks of the Guadarrama Mountains?
In ancient times iron had been worked in this desolate wilderness of Castile. Thescoriæ, or refuse of the mines, lay upon the hillsides, and gave the name of ‘Escorial’ to this shoulder of the range. After a search, which had lastedtwo years, Philip concluded that no better situation could be desired. In his decision he was assisted by experts in geology, the science of health, and the art of architecture. The site was distant eight leagues from Madrid, and close to a hamlet known as Escorial.
In the document written by Philip respecting the founding of the monastery, we read that, inspired by gratitude to God for His benefits, the king desired to establish churches and convents, and to build a place of burial for his royal successors. ‘For these considerations we are Founding and building the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo, near the town of the Escorial, in the diocese and archbishopric of Toledo, and we dedicate it to the blessed San Lorenzo on account of the special devotion which we have to this Saint, and in memory of the victory which we gained on his feast-day. We Found it according to the Order of St. Jerome because of the affection and devotion we have for this Order, and which the Emperor and King, our Father, had for the same. Besides this we have decided that a college shall also be Founded, where the arts and theology shall be taught, and where some young men shall be brought up under the rule of a seminary,’ etc.
Philip purchased all the land required for theerection of the monastery before the work of clearing it was begun. He took up residence on the site, in rude temporary lodgings, and followed with closest interest every detail of the designing and construction. His chosen architect was Juan Bautista de Toledo, who had studied his art in Rome and Naples. Toledo was a native of Madrid, and in Italy he had made his reputation by designing a palace at Posilipo, and the celebrated Strada di Toledo. He was assisted in planning the Escorial by Lucas de Escalante and Pedro de Tolosa.
The first stone was laid on April 23, 1563. Toledo worked upon the Escorial till 1567, when he died. His scheme embraced the monastery for fifty Hieronymite monks, the royal residence, the burial-chamber, and the church. Juan Bautista de Toledo was succeeded by Juan de Herrera, who enlarged the convent and designed a bell tower. His assistant was Juan de Minjores, who had executed the church of the Alhambra, and planned part of the Alcazar of Seville.
Toledo’s plan was ambitious and eccentric. He was influenced by the Renaissance ideals, and he employed the Doric style in its severest examples. Philip would have no luxurious decorations, no flamboyant effects; everythingmust be plain to austerity. Some critics have asserted that the simplicity of the Escorial is impressive and noble, while others complain of its rigidity and sombreness. The plan of the building is in the shape of a gridiron, to commemorate, it is surmised, the fate of San Lorenzo, who was roasted on a grid. The handle of the gridiron is represented by the Palace of the Infantas; the monastery, the seminary, and the royal apartments represent the bars of the implement upon which the saint was martyred.
It is evident that the architects were not allowed perfect freedom in their designs. The king constantly inspected their plans, corrected or improved them according to his own ideas, and made numerous suggestions. From his youth Philip had displayed a love of architecture, and there is no doubt that he was personally the inventor of many features of the Escorial. It has been related that he somewhat hampered the designers by his frequent insistence upon severity of style, and by his interference in many details of the work.
The king often repaired to a rock commanding a view of the busy scene beneath, where he would sit for hours, watching the progress made by the great army of craftsmen and toilers. Afear, which was almost morbid, assailed him at the dread thought that he might die before his scheme was brought to its completion. His days were occupied in superintending the tasks of the architects, artists, and decorators, and in pious meditation in his retreat. Sometimes he would roam with his gun, in the surrounding grey wilderness, unattended, and buried in reflection. His relations with the favourite painters of his retinue were of the friendliest order, and he avoided the attitude of the mere patron. With Titian the king was very intimate, and he would sit by the easel of Coello, watching the picture that grew upon the canvas.
The studio of Coello adjoined the royal apartment, and Philip came frequently to converse with the painter. He delighted also in the society of Antonio Moro. To Titian he paid large sums for his services, and when the work was finished the king handsomely pensioned the artist. When Titian died, the pension was continued to his son.
In 1570 Philip married for the fourth time, his bride being Anne of Austria. A year later the queen gave birth to Fernando, who died at Madrid at the age of seven, and was buried in the Escorial. The body of Don John of Austria, natural brother of Philip, was interred beneath the altar of thechurch in the following year. In 1574 the remains of the illustrious Emperor Charles were transferred to the vaults of the Escorial with much ceremony, and at the same time several other royal coffins were removed to the newly-made royal resting-place. During the solemn service a terrific storm destroyed the dais which had been erected for the ceremony, and the splendid trappings that covered it.
Besides the havoc of hurricanes, the building twice suffered serious injury from fires. The first broke out when the work was almost finished. The cause of the conflagration was a lightning stroke, and the flames raged for several hours, creating consternation among the monks and the other inmates of the edifice. When the fire was subdued, the king had to grieve the destruction of the fine belfry and the loss of a costly peal of bells. Although the fabric was much damaged, no lives were lost, and several sacred relics were recovered uninjured.
The heavy cost of erecting the Escorial increased the amounts paid in taxation, and among the people of Spain there was some discontent with the expenditure. There was also disaffection upon one or two occasions among the mechanics employed upon the building. Thecause, or the effect, of this insubordinate feeling was the rumour that Satan in the guise of a hound with wings prowled about the corridors in the dark. A friar hearing certain gruesome sounds during matins, went out to investigate the cause of the disturbance, and discovered a stray dog wandering in the building. The dog was promptly hanged, and his carcass exposed on the exterior of the edifice;—proof positive that the mysterious visits were at an end.
It is interesting to learn that a party of Japanese delegates came to request an audience of Philip in the year 1582. The Jesuits had made several converts in Japan, and it was proposed to ordain some of these as priests. But the papal sanction had to be obtained, and the ruler of Japan sent an embassy to the Pope. Before going to Rome, these representatives came to Spain and paid reverence to Philip, who entertained them cordially.
In 1586 the king was busy with preparations for the ceremony of consecrating the church of the Escorial, which had been completed some time previously. During the erection of the church, services were held in a temporary structure, and in this building there was a celebration of the mass before the processionentered the new church. Philip, the prince, and several great clerics supported the canopy which was carried in the solemn pageant. The temporary church, which stood in the hamlet, was afterwards reconstructed, and placed at the service of the people.
About the year 1582 the king was seized with a distemper of an epidemic character, and was so prostrated that he prepared himself for death, and wrote his will. But his disorder, although dangerous, was not fatal, though the queen, who was also attacked, died in this same year. She was interred among other royal persons in the Escorial. The death of PhilipII.occurred in 1598. He was indisposed at Madrid, and desired to be at once removed to his beloved Escorial. So severe was his illness that it was necessary to bear him thither slowly in a litter. Six days were spent in conveying the stricken monarch over the eight leagues from Madrid to the palace among the Guadarrama Mountains.
For fifty days the king lay in suffering. It was his wish to see every part of the building before he died, and he was borne slowly through the palace, the church, the convent, and the college. Philip was patient and resigned in the contemplation of the last hour of his life. He evinced his zealin piety to the end, and ordered the release of certain prisoners as a final act of mercy. When death approached, the king asked that the prince and Isabella might attend at his bedside, and to them he exhorted holiness, and spoke of the vanity of ambition and the insecurity of power. On September 13 PhilipII.partook of the last sacrament, and passed away.
So died the Founder of the Escorial, and the initiator of the great work which the Spanish people claimed as one of the chief wonders of the world. He had lived to see the realisation of his desire. Year by year he had watched the development of his plans, the building of the monastery, the uplifting of the church, and the establishment of a court and a college in this remote Castilian highland. The hours of his retirement had been devoted to the gratification of his taste in the arts, to contemplation, and to penance. Like Solomon, he had surrounded himself with objects of priceless worth, and he passed his days in an atmosphere of beauty. Æsthetic, and at the same time ascetic, Philip seemed possessed of a dual nature in which rival forces constantly contended. If his mind was marked by gloom, it was relieved by his passion for art and by his love of the simple pleasuresof a country life. Nor was the king apparently devoid of a capacity for enjoying occasionally the conventional gaieties of life, for among his numerous retinue, he maintained a fool, or royal jester, one Miguel D’Antona, a grotesque dwarf, with an ugly, humorous countenance.
The Escorial was a royal hobby. But for us it is something more, for it illustrates in divers ways the thought, fancy, and idiosyncrasy of an enigmatic personality. And more than this, the building instructs us in the temper of a memorable age, profound in faith, zealous in patriotism, and conspicuous in martial valour. An inspection of the Escorial is as the reading of a long and remarkable chapter in the history of Spain.
In accordance with his father’s wishes, PhilipIII.began to build the present burial-vaults soon after his accession to the throne. He did not live to see the completion of the work, which was continued during the reign of PhilipIV.The construction was, however, delayed through the attitude of the overseer of the works, who objected to the expenditure of so large a sum of money from the national exchequer; but under the monk Nicolas, thePanteonwas at length made ready, in 1654, for the reception of the coffins of members of the royal families.
‘No monarchs of the earth,’ writes a chronicler, ‘have a mausoleum comparable to this of the Escorial, which to the glory of Spain was conceived by CharlesV., undertaken by PhilipII., carried on by PhilipIII., and completed by PhilipIV.’
The second devastating fire at the Escorial broke out in 1671, and was supposed to have been caused by the fall of a rocket during a firework exhibition, following upon a day of rejoicing. The English translator of the works of Francisco de los Santos states that the fire ‘ruined and destroyed’ the edifice, but this is an exaggeration, though the damage was very great. It is said that the flames were not quenched for fifteen days, and that the peal of bells was melted. The queen-regent, Anne of Austria, restored the Escorial in 1676, and provided it with a new set of bells.
Another disaster might have befallen the Monasterio in 1755, when Lisbon was levelled by the great earthquake, but, fortunately, only a shock was perceived by the inmates of the building.
CharlesIII.made a few additions to the Escorial, and his son proposed the addition of a bull-ring; but the king, upon hearing of thisproject, forbade the work, and the prince contented himself with erecting a caseta or villa, which was named de Abajo.
It was at the Escorial that CharlesIV.unearthed a plot concocted by the queen, Godoy, and Prince Fernando, with the object of betraying Spain to France. The prince was placed in confinement at the Monastery, and his tutor and other members of the royal household were also imprisoned. It is probable that Canon Escoiquiz, one of the Court, was in treaty with Napoleon’s representatives. Fernando was tried and pardoned, though his part in the conspiracy seemed to admit of no doubt.
In 1807 the French troops stormed the Monasterio, which was defended by the priest Ruiz, who lost his life in the assault. The monks were expelled by the French, but allowed to occupy an adjacent building. Terrible pillage succeeded the capture of the Escorial, and much of its treasure was looted and sent to France. After the Peace the brethren returned to the Monastery, and the French restored some of the plundered works of art.
There was a restoration of the building under FerdinandVII., the completion of the work being celebrated on the day of San Lorenzo. Uponthe death of the king many of the pictures were transferred from the Escorial to Madrid.
In 1846 IsabellaII.married her cousin, Francisco de Assisi, at the Escorial, and upon the same day her sister was united to the Duc de Montpensier.
During the cholera epidemic at Madrid, in 1856, the inmates of the Escorial were almost free from the disease, proving beyond doubt that the position of the place among the mountains is extremely healthy. In the summer of 1861 the first train from Madrid arrived at the Escorial.
There are several historians of the Real Monasterio. Friar Juan was probably the first writer on the subject, though hisMemoirs, written in 1596, have not been printed. Father Sigüenza prepared a chronicle of the Escorial in 1605; and in 1698 a work was issued by Jimenez; Santos also wrote in the same year. Ponz was the chronicler in 1788. After a lapse of thirty years, Bermejo wrote upon the building, and since 1843 the historians have been Alvarez, Madoy, Ramajo, and Rotondo. The last writer took extreme pains in collecting an immense amount of information upon the Escorial and its history. His huge volume, which appeared in Madrid about 1863, is a classic upon the subject.
Among the earlier writers, perhaps the most interesting is Franciso de los Santos, whose work was published in Madrid in 1681, under the title,Descripcion del Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial.
TheReal Sitio, or Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial, is, as we have seen, a great combination of fabrics, consisting of a convent, a seminary, a palace, a church, and a panteon. It is therefore scarcely correct to speak of the structure as the ‘Palace of the Escorial,’ for the royal apartments form but a part of the building.
San Lorenzo, to whom PhilipII.dedicated the mighty monument, was by birth an Aragonese from the town of Huesca. It is not necessary here to relate his history. His cruel martyrdom occurred in the time of Valentianus,A.D.261, and it was upon the feast day of the saint that Spain gained the great victory over the French at St. Quintin in Picardy.
A chronicler of the period of PhilipII.has declared that: ‘It is impossible to properly describe the grace, the ornaments, the grandeur, and the majestic harmony, that one remarks inthis entire edifice.... To write a description of it is an impossible task for me, whilst I could never tire of admiring it; for the rest, this is what always happens when one tries to describe architecture and the arts.’
This limitation in adequate expression is one of the penalties of such a task as the present work. The mere detailing of all parts of the Escorial would be very laborious and beyond the limit of present space, and the result might prove quite uninteresting to the non-technical reader, and possibly of no great service to the visitor. There are, however, certain conventional methods of description which can be scarcely avoided in an account which aims at conciseness and accuracy.
Let us then begin by stating that the Western or Principal Frontage is 744 feet long and 72 feet high, and that the towers at either end are 200 feet in height. The chief entrance is in the centre of the façade, and it is known as the Portico Principal del Monasterio. Supporting the cornice are eight Doric columns, and a door, 20 feet high and 12 feet wide, is placed between the central columns. The door is white, with huge copper-gilt studs and knockers. Surrounding the door are the enormous blocks of stone, which were carried hereupon specially constructed wains, drawn by forty-eight pairs of oxen. The panels on each side of the doorway are decorated with gridirons in relief, as symbols of the martyrdom of San Lorenzo.
Monegro’s figure of San Lorenzo, huge, and carved in stone, stands above the door. The head and the hands are of Andalusian marble. Monegro is said to have asked the sum of 20,900 reales for carving this effigy, and other 7700 reales for the arms of Spain carved below the statue.
Of the other doors, one leads to the cellars, the lower cloisters, and the kitchens, and the other to the Colegio. Their character is simple, and they are constructed of large blocks of stone, after the plan of the chief entrance.
The Vestibule is about 80 feet wide, and leads into the Patio de los Reyes, or Court of the Kings. To the right of the Vestibule are the Libraries, the Refectory, and the Convent, and on the left is the College. The walls of the Patio are decorated with pilasters, and there are many fine windows to the apartments. Six statues of the Reyes de Judea stand in the Court, the work of Monegro, who used granite for the bodies and marble for the head and hands, as in the case of the effigy of San Lorenzo, above the main gateway.
The statues represent Jehosaphat, Hezekiah, David, Solomon, Josiah, and Manasseh, but they are not works of the highest order. The first king has a chopper, and there are a ram and loaves of bread by his side; while the second has also a ram, and in his hand a large incense box. David is appropriately supplied with a harp and a sword, and the symbol of Solomon is a volume. Josiah also holds a book, and Manasseh a compass and square. These Kings of Israel are chosen because they each directed the work of building and beautifying the Temple.
The general plan of the Escorial is a parallelogram of 3000 feet in circumference and 500,000 square feet. This massive pile is everywhere severely uniform, though its rigidity is relieved by the towers of the Monastery, the charming gardens of the palace with their fine arches, and by the spires and doorways. The granite employed in the building is of a light colour, and is, for the most part, highly polished. There are four façades. We have inspected the western or principal frontage, and we may now pay some attention to the east front, which bears points of resemblance to that of the south.
One curious feature of the eastern façade is the celebrated staircase, described by Don AntonioRotondo as one of the most curious pieces of architecture in the whole edifice. The doorway leading to the gardens was originally intended as an arcade, and it is a noteworthy example of architectural skill. The appearance of the east front is marred by the unattractive exterior of the Capilla. On the north side is the chief approach to the palace, and here is the small door by which the royal tenants entered their apartments up to the time of CharlesIV.
The finest external aspect of the Escorial is on the southern side. It is simple and bold, and from it is gained one of the most interesting views of the pleasure-grounds below. The first stone of the edifice was laid here. A gallery on this side was used for convalescents from the Infirmary, being sheltered from the rays of the sun, and here the monks, who were recovering from illness, took gentle exercise in the open air. There are two corridors, or promenades, each about 100 feet in length, one above the other, and supported by arches. Some of the decorative work here is by Juan de Mora.
The impression conveyed by the Escorial at first sight is that of its colossal proportions, while one’s second impression is of austerity and uniformity in design. Henry O’Shea is right insaying, in hisGuide to Spain and Portugal, that ‘to understand the Escorial it is necessary to have studied deeply and most impartially the character and genius of its founder; for this is not a monument which is the expression of an age or a people, but bears the stamp of a man of a special train of thought and feeling.’ O’Shea states that ‘the Monastery of the Escorial is the key to Philip’s character, never, as yet, perfectly understood by historians.’ Carl Justi, in a somewhat severe criticism of ‘the rigid geometrical design’ of the building, says that it ‘looks at us with petrifying effect,’ though he admits that the harmony of the pile with its surrounding landscape gives it a peculiar beauty.
Some of the older writers upon the Royal Monastery of PhilipII.fervently praise the majesty of the great monument. The Countess D’Aulnoy, in herLetters from Spain, in 1679, wrote that the apartments of the king and queen at the Escorial were not stately, and that Philip, when he founded the building, intended it for a house of prayer and retirement, ‘the things he took most care to adorn’ being the Church and the Library. In the words of George Thompson, translator of Frey Francisco de los Santos’s work upon the Royal Palace of the Escorial, the edifice is ‘anastonishing work, in which the most prudent monarch Philip the Second offered to God a heaven on earth; to the illustrious Spanish martyr St. Lawrence a temple of divine magnificence, to his ancestors, a Christian mausoleum; to the Hieronymite recluses an august habitation; and to the world a structure which it can never sufficiently admire.’
In the eyes of the Spanish subjects of Philip, the Real Monasterio, or Real Sitio (Royal Residence), constituted the ‘eighth wonder of the world.’ Such a magnificent palace had not been seen in Spain since the palmy days of the Moorish potentates of Granada and Cordova. In no sense, however, could the Escorial be likened to the buildings of Morisco genius. It was eminently Christian in its conception and plan, and in its dedication to San Lorenzo, the martyr of the gridiron. The style was late Renaissance, uninfluenced by the ancient Oriental spirit, and owing its inspiration chiefly to the Doric designers, though the Gothic influence is of France.
If the exterior of the Escorial suggests in turn a sombre fortress, a mournful and gaunt hermitage, or a forbidding prison, it still impresses us as a very remarkable work of architecture. One must not look for the richly ornate, the flamboyant, and that prodigality of decoration which characterise many of the later public buildings of Spain. Huge, marked with the personality of the founder, menacing, and yet not without the nobility of plainness, the great creation of PhilipII.is beyond doubt one of the world’s greatest edifices. To some observers it has brought a vague sense of depression when viewed upon a grey day amid its bleak surroundings; but the atmosphere of the place is far from unimpressive, for it is pregnant with memories, and vivid with dramatic passages in the lives of kings and their queens, courtiers, artists, friars, and the long train of inmates who lived within the stern granite walls. Moreover, as a museum, the Escorial is of supreme interest. It contains a wealth of wonderful works of art, and a superb library of costly books and old manuscripts.
The galleries, courts, and gardens of the building undoubtedly soften the aspect of the walls and the solemn towers. Flowers adorn the terraces: there are pleasant seats and niches, with shady walks between high box-hedges and splashing fountains. From the Lonja (the terraces) one looks upon varied vistas of the plain, the frowning mountains, the quaint flower-gardens, the ponds, and the wooded slopes, wherethere are English elms and beautiful chestnut-trees.
In the surrounding demesne, there are several points of interest. One of these is the ‘King’s Chair,’ among the rocks, where Philip sat to view the building of the monastery. We may also wander to the ‘Queen’s Belvedere,’ or climb the boulders of Castejon.
Not content with the vast accommodation of the Escorial, Philip caused certain small houses, or places of retreat, to be built in the vicinity. One of these, called La Granjilla, was surrounded by exquisite gardens, which were adorned with many fountains. The streams and tanks provided fish for the royal table. Another lodge was the Campillo, which the king erected in a magnificent and lonely situation among the hills. This house was afterwards altered by PhilipIV.
Fromthe point of view of architectural beauty, the Church of the Escorial is the finest of the several buildings within the walls. The eye is at once arrested by the tall towers on either side, the immense dome, with its superimposed massive lantern and cross, and the portals of the vestibule. As for the height of the towers, it is safe to say that they are considerably over 200 feet, though writers variously give the height as 260 feet and 270 feet. The structure is of granite throughout, huge in its plan, and severe in its Doric simplicity.
The tower on the right has a clock and a peal of bells. Each of the belfries has a platform with a balustrade, and the cupolas have a lantern tower, with several windows, and a lesser cupola above, crowned by a spire. On the top of the spire are a ball, a cross, and a weathercock. Thesetowers are perhaps the most ornamental parts of the whole pile.
Before the Church, or Templo, is the handsome Vestibule, with five arches, each having a door. The total number of the portals is ten. There is a decorated dome to the Vestibule, and doors leading to the Monastery and the College. The chief door of the Church is in the centre, and it is only opened to admit members of the reigning family of Spain. We enter the main edifice by a small door. Upon black marble, in letters of copper, is a Latin inscription setting forth that ‘Philip, King of all the Spains, of the two Sicilies, and of Jerusalem, laid the first stone of this church on the feast of San Bernardo, 1563: the divine offices were first celebrated on the Eve of the feast of St. Lawrence, 1586.’
The right door has the following legend: ‘PhilipII., King of all the Spains, of the Sicilies, and of Jerusalem, had this church piously and solemnly consecrated by the nuncio of His Holiness, Camilli Cojot of Alexandria, on August 30th, 1595.’
The Coro Bajo, or Lower Choir, is the first part of the church upon entering from the Vestibule. It is paved with marble, and has a gallery, balconies, and two rows of stalls. A variety ofwoods were used in the stalls, such as box, cedar, walnut, and ebony, and the designs were drawn by Herrera, who directed the work of Flecha the decorator. Under Flecha four Spanish carvers assisted in the work of cutting the thistle leaves and the beautiful mountings of the choir stalls. The Prior’s seat is especially decorative; and one stall, wider than the others, was used by PhilipII.
A fine lectern of jasper and marble, supported by bronze pilasters, stands in the Choir. In a small shrine upon the structure, formed by columns, is an effigy of the Virgin. The cross of this structure is of the wood from which Philip’s coffin was made. In height the lectern is sixteen feet.
Near the Prior’s seat is an altar with a Crucifix, and close by we shall find two paintings of Our Lady and San Juan, by Navarrete, sometimes called El Mudo. This painter was influenced by the Venetian tradition, though it is doubtful whether he worked under Titian.
In 1568 Navarrete was invited by Philip to the Escorial, where he executed some work upon the high altar. A few years later the artist was commanded to paint other thirty-two pictures for the king. El Mudo was accused of indecorum in his work by representing angels with beards, and this is shown by the contract with the high clerics of the Escorial, who laid down that: ‘Whenever the figure of a saint is repeated by painting it several times, the face shall be represented in the same manner, and likewise the garments shall be of the same colour, and if any saint has a portrait which is peculiar to him, he shall be painted according to such portrait, which shall be sought out with diligence wherever it may be; and in the aforesaid picture the artist shall not introduce any cat or dog or other unbecoming figure, but only saints and such things as incite to devotion.’
One of the wall paintings of the Choir represents San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, expounding the Scriptures; another shows him writing, and a third depicts the interment of the saint, San Lorenzo, while the Pope is the subject of one of the frescoes, which were painted by Cincinato. The pictures by Lugato in this part of the church illustrate Charity, Hope, Faith, Prudence, and Justice, while others portray San Lorenzo and San Geronimo. During the struggle with France many objects of art were removed from the Choir.
The organs are exceedingly handsome. Oneof them is said to be the finest in tone in the Peninsula. By the side of the chief choir are the lesser cross, or choirs, containing a small marble capilla. The statue of San Lorenzo was carved from a Roman effigy, which was headless and without limbs when it came into the possession of PhilipII.Giordano’s ceiling is painted with episodes in the life of David. This painter was a follower of the powerful Ribera, and his influence upon Spanish art was somewhat detrimental, for he imposed an alien style, and produced works that example the decline of the Spanish schools.
A hall behind the ante-choir is known as the Library, and here the music books are stored. The books are very beautifully bound, and written by masters of the art of caligraphy. There are three pictures in this apartment: the best is by Navarrete, a scene of the ‘Crucifixion’, with San Juan and the Virgin. The work by Herrera Barnuevo is poor. Van Bosch, or El Bosco as he was styled in Spain, painted the allegorical picture in this hall.
The ‘Panteon de los Reyes’, the royal sepulchre, was finished in 1654. It was intended that it should be severely plain; but after the time of PhilipII., those who continued the work, indulged their fancy for gilt decoration. A portrait of Father Nicolas is seen as we enter the staircase of the vaults; and after descending about a score of steps, we reach the Panteon de las Infantas and the Panteon de los Infantes, where rest the remains of the two sisters of CharlesV., Don John of Austria, and other royal persons. This part of the royal vaults is not of especial interest architecturally, and a more adequate place of sepulture is now being constructed.
The doorway of the vaults is of marble and bronze, and there is a tablet with the following inscription: ‘To the very good and very great God; sacred spot dedicated by the piety of the Austrian dynasty to the mortal remains of the Catholic kings, who await the desired day under the high altar consecrated to the Redeemer of the human race. CharlesV., most glorious of the emperors, resolved this place to be the last bed of himself and his lineage; PhilipII., the wisest of kings, designed it; PhilipIII., a monarch sincerely pious, continued the work; PhilipIV., great for his clemency, his constancy, and his devotion, augmented, adorned, and terminated it in the year of the Lord 1654.’
The figures of Italian bronze near the tablet, symbolise Humanity and Hope. From thispoint the descent to the tombs is made upon steps of marble, with three landings, until an octagonal chamber is reached. A great candelabrum of bronze hangs here, and there are relief figures of the Apostles. The decorations of this vault of jasper and marble were executed by Fanelli. The materials used for the altar in this chamber are black marble and bronze. Two lay-brothers of the Escorial made the bronze Entombment of Christ.
In the niches rest twenty-six urnas containing the ashes of Spanish sovereigns. The kings are CharlesV., PhilipII., PhilipIII., PhilipIV., CharlesII., LuisI., CharlesIII., CharlesIV., and FerdinandVII.On the left of the altar are the remains of Isabella, wife of the Emperor Charles, Anne of Austria, Margaret, Isabel of Bourbon, Mary Anne of Austria, Maria of Savoy, Maria of Saxony, and Maria Luisa of Bourbon.
FerdinandVII.used to attend Mass at midnight in this damp, chilling, and sombre sanctuary, where rest the bones of so many of his ancestors.
The construction of the church represents a large square, and the pillars form a cross. Four immense square columns support the whole superstructure, and surrounding these are twenty-four large arches. The carved and gilded woodwork is the work of Flecha, an Italian artist. At the end of the lesser naves are domes, eight in number. The Great Dome has eight windows, with Doric columns, and it is surrounded by a balcony. An ascent can be made to the top of the dome, where there are a large lantern, a spire, and a tall weathercock above the cupola. The height from the ground is 330 feet. In the pyramidal spire, PhilipII.enclosed a case containing relics of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Barbara.
The pavement of the church is made of variegated marbles. In the reign of CharlesII., the vaulting of the principal dome was pointed, but before the time of that monarch, it was stuccoed, and spangled with blue stars. Giordano was commissioned with the work of decorating this part of the building with eight frescoes. These pictures are described by O’Shea as ‘hurried, yet faithful, and the colouring very fine, though somewhat tarnished by damp.’ Later critics have, however, pointed out the traces of serious degeneration in the work of Giordano. Among the paintings are the ‘Adoration of the Magi,’ the ‘Conception,’ and the ‘Last Judgment.’
Jordaens was the artist selected to paint the works in the minor domes. It has been statedthat the frescoes were finished in seven months. We need not describe each one in detail. The dome in the chief nave has a ‘Resurrection,’ in which we see the Saviour upon a throne of clouds, with the Holy Mother by his side, and from the tombs emerge the frames of the dead, some of which ascend to Paradise. In the dome over the Chapel of Our Lady there is a painting of the Virgin in a chariot, attended by maidens; and in another dome the scene is from the Old Testament, representing Joshua’s defeat of the Amalekites.
The Capilla Mayor is notable for its Doric features, black marble pilasters, bronze figures, and the splendid high altar. The chief chapel is approached by an arch on three pillars, dividing it from the other parts of the edifice, and the altar is of marble and jasper. It was consecrated in 1595 by PhilipII., in honour of the Blessed San Lorenzo, and within were placed the relics of San Pedro, San Tomas, San Sebastian, and other holy personages. The fine work on the screen cannot be well seen in the uncertain light; but it merits close inspection for its scheme of exemplifying all the orders of pagan architecture in jasper and bronze.
Upon one division of the altar screen are twopaintings by Tibaldi, the ‘Birth of Christ,’ and the ‘Adoration of the Magi.’ Tibaldi was a pupil of Michael Angelo; but his productions have little of the spirit of his master, and there is none of his work in the Escorial upon which we can write with great enthusiasm.
The ‘Flagellation,’ by Zuccaro, is seen in the second or Ionic section of the altar screen. This is supposed to be the best work of the painter, who came at the invitation of PhilipII.to paint at the Escorial, in the place of Paul Veronese. Zuccaro’s art was so inferior that his royal patron condemned most of his pictures; and Tibaldi, a not very excellent substitute, was bidden to repaint several frescoes. Finally, the Venetian painter was asked to leave the Escorial.
Pompeio Leonius, or Leoni, was the designer and caster of the metal statues that ornament the splendid screen, though some of the work was intrusted to the artist’s father, Leon Leoni, sometimes called Arezzo. These two natives of Milan were retained by PhilipII.to produce statues at the Escorial, and besides this work on the altar they produced the figures of CharlesV., Philip, and other members of the Royal House, which stand between the centre columns. These figures are of bronze gilt, about thirteen feet in height.The Emperor kneels before an altar, his head bare, invoking the assistance of God. Isabella is by him, and the other statues represent the Empress Maria, and the Princesses Eleonora and Maria. On the other side are the figures of PhilipII., Anna, Isabella, Doña Maria of Portugal, and Don John of Austria.
In the Oratories there are some paintings by Pantoja de la Cruz, who was a pupil of Coello. Pantoja was a native of Madrid; he was Court portrait painter to PhilipII., and afterwards to PhilipIII.Besides his work at the Escorial, he painted several canvases for the Royal Palace at Madrid.
In one of the chambers of the Oratories are the table and chair belonging to PhilipII.
The Sanctuary has some frescoes by Tibaldi, depicting scenes from the Old Testament; the fresco of ‘Elias’ was the artist’s first picture for the Escorial. A handsome tabernacle demands notice, both for its art and the fact that it was destroyed by the French, and afterwards repaired by FerdinandVII.The work is by Juan de Herrera and Giacomo Trezzo of Milan.
In the Relicario few objects survived the plundering of the French; but Carducci’s pictures of saints should be seen, and a metal statuefrom Messina is of interest. A number of skeletons and precious bones of saints and pious persons are guarded in the Relicario. There are also a part of the gridiron upon which San Lorenzo was martyred; some pieces of the Holy Cross; thorns from the crown of Christ; part of the garment of the Holy Mother; a bone of St. Paul, and many other treasures which cannot be enumerated.
In the Ante-Sacrista the vaults were painted by Granelo and Fabricio: a reputed Andrea del Sarto is here; a painting by Van der Velde, San Juan by Giordano, and San Geronimo by the vigorous Spanish artist Ribera, the master of Luca Giordano.
The Sacristy contains a number of paintings, including a work by El Greco, the ‘Dream of PhilipII.’ This eccentric genius painted for some time at the Escorial; but his gifts were not fully appreciated by the royal patron, who seems to have possessed a preference for the work of the Italian romancists rather than the bold, truthful productions of the stronger Spanish School of painters. In the hall will be seen several pictures by artists of Spain: among others are works by Zurbarán and Ribera, while foreign painters are represented by Tintoretto, Titian, Guido Reni,and Paul Veronese. Tintoretto’s work was painted for a church in Venice, but came into the hands of King CharlesI.of England, and was purchased for PhilipIV.of Spain after the downfall of Charles. The subject is ‘Washing the Apostles’ Feet.’ Some beautiful needlework is preserved in the Sacristy, designed by Navarrete, and worked by the monks. The altar of the Sacristy has carvings in marble upon the screen, and a painting by Coello, containing portraits of several notable persons, including CharlesII.Coello worked for about six years upon this picture, which was first undertaken by Rizzi, who was overtaken by death during his labours.
Surrounding all the altars of the church are paintings of more or less interest, which principally demonstrate the Italian influence. Luis de Carbajal is the painter of several of these pictures. He was the pupil of Juan Villoldo, a very mannered artist, and a follower of Navarrete. Below the Choir will be found a painting of Carbajal, ‘Sixtus and St. Blasius,’ and another of his works is in the Capilla, also representing saints. Navarrete, Coello, and Tibaldi, are among the other painters of the altar-pieces in the various chapels.
The pulpits of the Capilla Mayor are very ornate. They were made under FerdinandVII.from various marbles and stone, with decorations of polished metal, and the designs were prepared by Urquiza.
Onthe south side of the church is the Patio de los Evangelistas, the Court of the Evangelists, a square of 166 feet, with two-storied cloisters in the Grecian style. The Hieronymite Order of Monks have always regarded the cloisters of their abbeys with the same reverence as the interior of the buildings, and the galleries of the Court of the Evangelists are resorts for quiet meditation and devotion. An ornamented, vaulted ceiling is supported upon arches and pillars; there are windows of tinted glass, and wall pictures, and a series of niches for altars. In each of the niches or ‘stations’ the walls are adorned with paintings. Monegro’s statues of the Apostles are in the court, and there are four fountains of marble and beds of flowers.
We have read that PhilipII.desired his edifice to serve as a monastery for the Order of SanGeronimo, or St. Jerome, who was the father confessor of the great warrior, El Cid. CharlesV.had spent the closing years of his life among the monks of San Geronimo at Yuste, near Plasencia, and his son, Philip, deemed it appropriate that the brothers of that order should inhabit and rule the Escorial. The first band of monks lived in a temporary monastery while the big religious house was being constructed. One of the most famous of the brothers was Villacastin, who placed the last stone of the edifice on September 13, 1584, and saw the first stone laid twenty-two years before the final ceremony of consecration. Father Sigüenza was the priest who officiated at the first Mass in the new church. He died in 1606, about three years after the death of the venerable Villacastin, who reached the age of ninety.
The Convent of San Lorenzo adjoins the Court of the Evangelists. Running from the old church to the annexe of the Sacristy are the Salas Capitalares, comprising two large halls and an ante-chamber. Two paintings by Titian are in the halls: one of ‘San Geronimo in the Wilderness,’ and the other ‘Devotion in the Garden.’
The painted ceiling is by two Italian artists,Granelo and Fabricio, and the pictures on the walls are by artists of different nationalities. Navarrete executed ‘Abraham and the Angels’; and Ribera’s ‘Birth of Christ’ and ‘Æsop’ are here. But more important than these is the work of Velazquez, the ‘Sons of Jacob,’ the only picture of the great master among the Escorial collection. This was one of three pictures which Velazquez painted at Rome and sent to his father-in-law, the versatile Pacheco, artist, canon, and historian.
The pictures by Bassano were probably among those brought from Italy by Velazquez when he went on a mission for Philip.
In the Prior’s Hall there are several examples of the work of the Italian illuminators, some of which came from the collection of CharlesI.of England. There are an ‘Entombment’ and ‘Christ in the House of the Pharisee’ by Tintoretto. Three of Titian’s works adorn the hall: ‘Our Lady of Grief,’ the ‘Last Supper,’ and the ‘Prayer in the Garden.’
The original church has an altar of marble, with paintings by Titian of the ‘Adoration of the Magi’ and ‘Ecce Homo.’ The ‘Entombment’ is a copy of Titian’s picture in the Prado Gallery at Madrid. Many of the paintings havebeen removed from the old church to the Prado, but among the notable canvases remaining are the ‘Martyrdom of St. James,’ an ‘Annunciation,’ by Paul Veronese, and Zuccaro’s ‘Birth of Christ.’ The most important is perhaps the picture by El Greco of ‘St. Maurice.’
On the handsome staircase there are more pictures from the brush of the facile Giordano, one of the most rapid of painters. One of these frescoes represents the founding of the Escorial, and it has a figure of PhilipII.inspecting the designs of the architects, Juan Bautista de Toledo, Herrera, and Antonio Villacastin. There is also a portrait of the king’s jester, D’Antona. San Lorenzo and the Virgin are depicted in the centre of the dome, and there are portraits of CharlesV., San Fernando, and San Geronimo in the group. The portraits of the Emperor Charles, PhilipII., CharlesII., and other royal personages are said to be excellent likenesses.
The Upper Gallery of the Cloisters is decorated with several paintings by Barrocci, Giordano, Carducci, Juan de Gomez, Navarrete, and Sebastian Herrera. Navarrete’s works are of principal interest; they are ‘San Geronimo,’ the ‘Birth of Christ,’ and the ‘Appearance of Christ to His Mother.’
The Lecture Hall contains a ‘Resurrection,’ painted by Paul Veronese, and some copies of Titian and Rubens. Navarrete’s ‘Burial of San Lorenzo’ is a fair instance of this artist’s manner, and may be considered the most interesting picture in the room.
In an adjoining small apartment there are many treasures, curiosities, and objects of art. This collection was despoiled by the French soldiery, but a considerable number of relics have been preserved. Among them is a manuscript by St. Augustine concerning the christening of children, dating from early in the seventh century. St. Teresa of Avila, who was a guest at the Escorial, wrote the four works which are kept here. One of the volumes is an Autobiography of the saint, and another is a work uponThe Road to Perfection. The two other books are codes and regulations concerning the religious houses which Santa Teresa founded.
The full title of the celebrated Spanish saint is Maestra Serafica Madre Santa Teresa de Jesus. She was born in 1515, and took the veil in her youth. PhilipII.collected and preserved her writings at the Escorial, and PhilipIII.urged the canonisation of the saint in 1622. At the death of the patroness of Spain, the souls ofthousands of martyrs appeared at her bedside. Santa Teresa’s writing-desk and ink-bottle, and an autograph of the Saint are among the most treasured relics preserved in the Escorial.
Among the sacred relics are a portion of the gridiron of San Lorenzo, a piece of his clothing, and the veil of St. Agata.
The statue of San Juan is by Nicolas. A jar which was placed here in the time of PhilipII.is reputed to be one of the original vessels which held the wine at the marriage feast of Cana.
There are several pictures of the French and Flemish schools in this room, including ‘San Geronimo,’ by Holbein. Bassano and Zuccaro are represented, and there are a few paintings in the Florentine style, but none of especial merit. Maëlla, a Spanish painter, who worked between 1739 and 1819, had some reputation as a fresco designer, and became a Court artist under CharlesIV.at the time when Goya was producing some of his finest pictures. Goya subsequently took the place of Mariano Maëlla as the king’s painter. In this room there is an ‘Immaculate Conception’ by Maëlla.
A brother of the Order of San Geronimo painted the ceiling, and another monk carved the figure of their patron saint upon the altar screen.
Portraits of the fathers of the Monastery are hung in the Upper Prior’s Chamber. The paintings are mostly by minor Spanish artists and Italians who worked at the Escorial. Sanchez Coello’s portrait of Padre Sigüenza, the earliest chronicler of the Monastery, has been copied and hangs here. In an ante-chamber are oil-paintings by Giordano and copies of pictures by Reni, Raphael, and Rubens. The ‘Conception’ is by Francisco Bayeu, a contemporary of Maëlla, who painted frescoes in many of the Castilian churches. Bayeu’s daughter, Josefa, was the wife of the brilliant Goya.
The Prior’s Oratory contains portraits of CharlesIII.and Maria of Saxony and an old German picture of saints. There is also a sculpture of the ‘Conception.’ The Lower Prior’s Chamber or cell has the one work of Francisco Urbino to be seen in the Escorial, a fresco of some interest. There is a picture by Pantoja, a portrait of the Emperor Charles in his youth. The portraits of Maria Luisa and of CharlesIV.are copies from Goya’s works. Vicente López, who painted the portrait of Maria, wife of FerdinandVII., was a painter of some eminence and a contemporary of Goya. López executed one of the best portraits of Goya.
The Carreño portraits in this apartment are good examples of the work of this artist, who belonged to the school of Madrid. Carreño de Miranda was a pupil of Pedro de los Cuevas, and a follower of Velazquez, who obtained for him a commission to paint pictures of the Royal Palace of Madrid. Carreño was made a Court painter after the death of the great Velazquez, and many of his pictures are to be seen in the churches of Spain and at the Escorial.
Doña Luisa Roldan’s figure of San Miguel is in the vestry. This is a specimen of the wood carving for which the sculptors of Spain were famous. The art of carving effigies in wood was revived successfully in Andalusia by Martinez Montañéz, who died in 1649; and among his followers were Pedro Roldan and Hernandez, who produced a large number of carved images for churches and for exhibition in religious processions. Doña Luisa Roldan, a daughter of Pedro, owed her inspiration to the master of this art, but her achievements fall short of the perfection which he attained.
There is a story concerning this señora’s work in the Escorial. It appears that after a tiff with her husband, Luisa Roldan carved the figure of San Miguel, and represented her own seraphiccountenance in that of the saint, while the scowling demon at his feet exhibits the features of the irascible husband. The pictures in the vestry are mostly copies of Titian and Tintoretto, but the ‘Martyrdom of San Pedro’ is said to be an original work of Caravaggio.
In the four Minor Cloisters are several pictures. One is an anonymous work, a landscape, and the others, of no great merit, are portraits of saints. The crucifix to be seen here was the work of an Indian convert to Christianity.
The spacious Refectory has dining tables of wood on stone pillars. Over the foundation stone is the Prior’s seat, and there are two pulpits in the hall. The kitchens, wine cellars, and other domestic offices are in this part of the monastery.
The Real Monasterio is the most characteristic portion of the huge pile of the Escorial, and its austerity and atmosphere of contemplation and piety testify to the religious and ascetic spirit of the royal recluse who founded it. This is no palace of mere delight and of luxury. It is a temple and a retreat, a sanctuary from the world of strife and unrest, and an asylum for the penitent and the devout. It is a monument of the Catholic faith, built with the devotion ofartists and labourers inspired by a deep zeal for religion, erected without regard to the immense cost of its construction and furnishing, and dedicated in the name of the pious San Lorenzo to the worship of God and the Holy Virgin. Truly a strangely interesting memorial.
Here, in the odour of piety, surrounded by friars and monks, PhilipII.lived the life of renunciation and of calm meditation. This tabernacle in the wilderness is a symbol of the mind of Spain in the days of her power, the manifestation of her profound faith, and a tribute to the seriousness and quietism which were the ideals of one of the most remarkable and complex of her rulers. We feel that the very stones of the building reveal the nature of Philip, the king who would be saint, the ambitious patriot who longed for power and vivid life, and yet realised that the placid existence in the cloister is more excellent than the fevered life of courts.