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The historical residence of the King of Spain, El Escorial is a vast architectural complex housing a monastery, basilica, Royal Palace and Pantheon as well as a school, hospital, library, museum and university.
The Monastero di San Lorenzo is the religious centrepiece of the complex, alongside La Granjilla de la Frasneda, a monastic retreat five kilometres away. Built in the 16th Century by reigning King Philip II - the site’s only Royal resident - El Escorial first housed a community of Hieronymite monks. The building became a Monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine.
The complex sits at the foot of Mt Abantos, about 45 kilometres from the country’s capital, Spain. A grand edifice on the site commemorates Spanish victory over France in 1557. First broken ground in 1563 the building was finally completed in 1584
A UNESCO WOrld Heritage Site since 1984, El Escorial is visited by over half a million tourists a year.
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