http://www.gospain.org/Spain_Images/escorial.gif

http://www.odysseyphoto.com/pr/~390791774~SPANS36A009.jpg


Exterior view of Monastery/Palace complex built by King Philip II


http://www.odysseyphoto.com/pr/~311224112~SPANS36A004.jpg

Interior plaza

http://www.odysseyphoto.com/pr/~311224112~SPANS36A007.jpg

Library

http://www.jorgetutor.com/spain/madrid/elescorial2/elescorial1.jpg

http://leonardfrank.com/WorldHeritage/Escorial9.JPG

Church

http://www.jorgetutor.com/spain/madrid/elescorial2/elescorial16.jpg

Panteón Real

http://casl.umd.umich.edu/hum/spanishco/09.el_%20Escorial/images/050Escorial.Panteon.50762c.jpghttp://www.travelinginspain.com/escorial9.jpg





Sala de las Batallas

http://vguimer.org/Madrid/images/Escorial_03.jpg

Other rooms

http://leonardfrank.com/WorldHeritage/Escorial5.JPG

http://www.jorgetutor.com/spain/madrid/elescorial2/elescorial23.jpg

this palace is wonderful
10/10

9.5...I might have given it a 10 if the facade wasn't so plain.

beautiful, asutere, the library is second only to the vaticans in what it holds. i love the massiveness of it.

Fantastic!!!!!!

10/10

Twenty years of stone work couldn't hide that it is as dull as 5.

9,5/10

Edit: 10/10

10/10 ;)

My favorit Monastery. Is fantastic and very big¡¡¡

9.5/10

8/10

9/10

really impressive

Reported from a duplicate thread.



http://www.culturageneral.net/arquitectura/jpg/monasterio_de_el_escorial.jpg http://www.spain.info/TurSpainWeb/Images/BMM/Fototeca/Madrid/280827JPG.jpg http://www.spain.info/TurSpainWeb/Images/BMM/Fototeca/Madrid/280830JPG.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/800px-ElEscorial_distant_view2.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/es/5/5c/EscorialBiblioteca.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog15.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog16.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog19.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog20.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog22.jpg http://www8.madrid.org/gema/images/clientes/131/fotog25.jpg
http://www.cyberspain.com/passion/jpgs/escorial21.jpg
El Escorial is found 50 Km northwest of Madrid (don’t worry it is very easy to get there whether by train or bus. A three part fortress/monument (a palace, a monastery and one of the best stocked libraries in the world and it), it commands the town and the neighboring region for its impressive structure covering a rectangular area of over 30,000 square meters. OK! Just to give you an idea, El Escorial has 9 towers, 9 organs, 16 patios, 73 statues, 86 sets of stairs, 88 fountains, 300 cells, 1,200 widows (told ya!), more than 1,600 paintings, 2673 doors, and we did not tell you all (we would not spoil the surprise).

Its history is just as impressive. Built to honor San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence) after having defeated the French on that day (August 10th, 1557), King Philip II charged his scholars to find a place to build it. This happened to be a plateau where a poor small village lay. Five years later construction began, and the town and the Castle/monastery has undergone many political and demographic changes; beginning with the ruling that the town was given the title of Villa and was carved out of the jurisdiction of Segovia, to which it belonged.
El Escorial was built with the idea to maintain the simetry and austerity, while showing forth might and power of the crown of Spain under divine guidance. At the entrance of the Patio of the Kings, the antechamber of eternity, sculptures of the Kings of Judea who brought Israel back to the service of God preside in a majestic reminder.

http://escorial.banesto.eurociber.com/g9700051.gif http://escorial.banesto.eurociber.com/g9700031.gif http://estudiantes.uam.es/marco.trevisan/escorial/escorialaereo.jpg http://www.travelinginspain.com/escoreal1.jpg http://www.travelinginspain.com/escorial_basilica.jpg http://www.travelinginspain.com/escorial14.jpg http://www.pilarcabrera.com/escorial2/images/coro.jpg http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/images/cuad_monast_escorial.jpg http://www.spain.info/TurSpainWeb/Images/BMM/Fototeca/Madrid/280854JPG.jpg http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/images/Escorial01.jpg http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/images/Escorial02.jpg http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/images/Escorial03.jpg http://www.fundacioniberdrola.org/images/Escorial04.jpg

10/10




<----------------

9.5/10

9 :)

incredible.... 10!
madrid is fantastic!

El Escorial, majestuoso y sobrio a un tiempo. El monumento español por excelencia tenía que ser un monasterio...

10/10

One great work for the Human Civilization. And one the best historic builds in Spain. 10/10

El Escorial, majestuoso y sobrio a un tiempo. El monumento español por excelencia tenía que ser un monasterio...

10/10

I think that the historic site more knew in Spain is a castle: The Alhambra of Grenade.

10/10 is stuning!!

9/10

:drool: 10/10 of course!

Superb!!! :eek: 10/10.

10/10 impressivee!

Ahh, massive and impressive 10/10 :eek2:

9.5/10

10/10

10/10

9.5/10

I liked it less than I thougt, when I saw it...
8/10
:dunno:

10/10

10/10

9,5/10

9/10

10/10

10! Beautiful!

10. great!

I've been there and at first I thought the exterior was too plain (later they told me that it was supposed to be austere, since it was a monastery).
At first I didn't comprehend just how massive it really is, because from the perspective I saw it, it looked rather small (dunno why :dunno: )
Then I went in and walked the tour and somewhere along the way realised that this was huge! :lol: The highlights are its sheer scale, the royal mausoleum: many kings and queens are there in elaborate coffins, and 2 of them are "reserved" for when the actual kings die (hopefully not soon), the chapel is really high and has many paintings by famous spaniards.
I gave it a 8.5/10

Im-presionante 10/10

9/10.

Perfect 10.

10/10

Massive.Interiors are beautiful!
8.5

9/10

very nice 9/10

:eek:

Excelente!!

10/10

Awesome!

Yo le doy el 10, por supuesto.
Emblema de la arquitectura española...

9,5/10

10/10

9/10

9,5 for me. The facade just felt a little plain. Other than that its a pure masterpeace. :cheers:

10. Excellent. Regards.

10/10

10/10

El Escorial. 10.-
This link see the great detail El Escorial.-
http://www.foroxerbar.com/viewtopic.php?t=5643

10/10

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/3894124071_6e7b7d769a_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5166008565_98681a9592_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5186321901_a40e4c4ebe_z.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1349/5166620504_229069e366_z.jpg