El Escorial

1. Panteon - Kings bodies kept
2. El Escorial
3. Mel and I in front of the entrance

8:45pm

The World Cup begins today and the U.S. plays tomorrow. Many people donned jerseys and red shirts to celebrate.

Today we visited El Escorial, a “conservative” palace designed by King Charles V. It is similar to a Camp David for the king of Spain. Charles V was a very religious and diplomatic king. He wanted a place with fewer decorations that included a place to pray. He created the monastery at El Escoral for monks to pray daily for the souls of those passed away, especially the souls of the Royal Family. He constructed the palace in a mountainous area above Madrid where no one held residence.

Today, there is a town surrounding the palace, which acts as a retirement community for many people in Spain with wealth. It reminds me of the North Carolina of the US. The houses are beautiful, with most having a red textured ceiling reminding me of a Mediterranean style.

El Escorial is also a school, which began for children of the nobility. When we arrived we encountered numerous children in light blue and khaki Catholic school uniforms at recess in the patio area of the castle. I was a bit envious of the views of the city and mountains these children have daily.

Mountains surrounded the castle and it is truly a masterpiece in itself that a building of this size was created. When the palace was constructed, artists from Italy were hired to complete the decorations. The Italian influence in art from the masterpieces at El Escorial shape the history of Spanish art for centuries to follow.

The family quarters are now a museum with works from famous artists of the century such as el Greco and Velazquez. The king’s bedroom and office space are located to where the king could work and attend Mass by opening his window to the garden area.

The ceiling and walls of other rooms in the castle cannot be described to explain its beauty. Huge murals adorn hallways of the castle and ceilings painted of mythological features make me wonder about the beauty of Versailles.

Two of the highlights of El Escorial is the enormous library with 52 sections of books, most of which are handwritten. I will try to attach a picture above. In addition, the palace is home to the most phenomenal Basilica I have ever visitied. There are 42 alters in the Basilica and most have pieces of art hanging over them. However, the main focus in the wall behind the alter with an ornate mural of photos depicting the life of Maria y Jesús. The gold crucifix is placed above the story.

The last room I will tell you about is the room is called the Panteon, in which all the kings’ bodies are kept. I was in the company of Charles V, Felipe II, Felipe III, etc; today! The room is circular with caskets adorning the walls. The kings’ bodies lie to the left of the alter with their mother’s bodies to the right. The room is made of the finest materials with gold decorations and marble flooring.

The rooms near to the Panteon hold the bodies of other members of the royal family. (see first picture above)

El Escorial is truly an oasis and one of the most important sites in Spain. Today it remains a school, monastery, basilica, and museum. It is the most beautiful place I have visited thus far on my journey.

After our visit to El Escorial we planned to visit Valle de Los Caídos located in the mountains. However, it was closed for “renovations”. However, our teacher believes it closed for political reasons, as it is a symbol of the “party” who won the Spanish Civil War.

In the following blog, there is information about the nightlife of Spain and my family.

Hasta mañana (talk to you tomorrow!)