El Escorial Madrid

One of Spain's finest sights is King Felipe II's massive monastery-palace, El Escorial. This massive landmark houses a royal palace, a monastery, a tomb, 4000 chambers, 15 cloisters, and one of the best Renaissance libraries, encapsulating all that was vital to one of Europe's most powerful kings. Read on to know all about the best El Escorial tickets, location, opening hours, what to expect on your visit, and more.

There’s a lot to discover at El Escorial in Madrid. From the monastery and the gardens to the library and the majestic halls, your experience at El Escorial will be anything but uneventful. Here are the top things to see on a tour.

The basilica of San Lorenzo el Real is the principal structure in the El Escorial complex, with a long nave on the east-west axis divided by a shorter transept halfway between the west entrance and the high altar. Italian artists have ornamented the east end, with sculptures by Leone and Pompeo Leoni, a father-and-son combination. The entire corpses of ten saints, as well as 144 heads and 306 arms and legs, are claimed to be housed in the reliquaries near the altar.

The Pantheon of the Kings has twenty-six marble sepulchers containing the bones of the regnant monarchs and queens of the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties from Charles I to the present. The Pantheon of the Princes, which was completed in 1888, is a collection of nine burial chapels that serves as the ultimate resting place for princes, princesses, and consorts who are not the parents of kings. The mausoleum of Prince John of Austria is particularly noteworthy, with its white marble floors and roof.

There are three libraries at the Escorial. One can be found behind the basilica's Chorus. Another used to be supplied to the various monks' cells and chambers within the monastery, but the Augustine monks have progressively managed to construct their own. Finally, there is the Royal Library, which is open to the public and is protected by a papal decree. The Royal Library is part of a greater symbolic edifice and has symbolic importance. It connects the monastery and the seminary across the building's main axis, symbolizing the spiritual and physical worlds coming together.

The Hall of Battles at El Escorial represents not only Spanish conquests during Philip II's reign but also other past military successes — the frescoes are both elegant and interesting, stretching the length of the hall wall. A medieval triumph over the Moors, as well as several of Philip's French campaigns, are among them.

Here are the top things to do in Madrid you should add to your itinerary.

The Prado Museum, also known as the Museo del Prado, is a Spanish art museum in Madrid that houses the world's largest and most extensive collection of Spanish paintings, as well as masterpieces from other European painting schools, particularly Italian and Flemish art. The architect Juan de Villanueva was commissioned by Charles III to develop a natural-science museum in 1785, and the Prado was born. Book Madrid Prado Museum tickets.

Madrid's Royal Palace, which was home to the Kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso XIII, takes us on a tour through Spanish history. The Royal Palace of Madrid is the most important Baroque palace in Spain, and it is located in western Madrid. The palace signified a change in styles because it also incorporates neoclassical characteristics. It is a massive building with a lot of artwork. Book Royal Palace of Madrid tickets.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum’s collection is composed of works from different periods and contains Italian Renaissance paintings by old masters, and art by ancient sculptures. It was founded by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon, father of Baron Hans Heinrich "Heini" Thyssen-Bornemisza, the current owner. Book Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum tickets.

The Liria Palace is one of Madrid's most prestigious private residences. It was built on the orders of Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Colón, the third Duke of Berwick and Liria, between 1767 and 1785. The building was designed by renowned architect Ventura Rodrguez, who took over the task of Louis Guilbert and created a long, rectangular, neoclassical structure. Book Liria Palace tickets.