THE SPANISH SERIES
THE ESCORIAL
THE SPANISH SERIES
_EDITED BY ALBERT F. CALVERT_
SEVILLE
MURILLO
CORDOVA
THE PRADO
THE ESCORIAL
SPANISH ARMS AND ARMOUR
_In preparation_--
GOYA
TOLEDO
MADRID
VELAZQUEZ
GRANADA AND ALHAMBRA
ROYAL PALACES OF SPAIN
LEON, BURGOS & SALAMANCA
VALLADOLID, OVIEDO, SEGOVIA,
ZAMORA, AVILA & ZARAGOZA
THE ESCORIAL
A HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE
ACCOUNT OF THE
SPANISH ROYAL PALACE,
MONASTERY AND MAUSOLEUM,
BY ALBERT F. CALVERT,
WITH 278 ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD
NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMVII
Edinburgh: T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty
_To His Excellency_
_SEÑOR DON WENCESLAO R. DE VILLA-URRUTIA._
_Your Excellency_,
_In putting forth this modest account of the Escorial, that marvellous
monument to the Hapsburg dynasty, I beg to inscribe it to your
Excellency, as a tribute of my esteem and an expression of admiration of
your Excellency’s great work in the interests of Spain, and as historian
of ‘The Relations between Spain and Austria during the Reign of the
Empress Margaret.’_
_I am,
Your Excellency’s
Sincere and obliged,
ALBERT F. CALVERT._
PREFACE
No work dealing exclusively with the Royal Palace and Monastery of the
Escorial, and purporting to give a full historical and descriptive
account of that remarkable monument of Philip II. of Spain, has hitherto
been published in England. In this volume I have endeavoured to present,
in condensed form, a history of the founding and building of the
edifice, to deal in detail with the more interesting features of its
architecture, and to describe the pictures, fresco paintings,
illuminated missals, and other works of art contained in the several
portions of this great composite pile.
The Escorial reflects the genius of Spain at the period following upon
the final emancipation from the sway of the Moors. It is an image, as it
were, of the powerful monarch who founded it, and spent so many years of
his life in superintending the construction and decoration of the
building. The Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial is a
repository of many of the world’s masterpieces of art, a library of rare
and costly manuscripts and volumes, a sumptuous hermitage, a college,
and a sanctuary. It is one of the wonders of Spain, and among the most
historically interesting royal residences in Europe. With the aid of the
letterpress and the illustrations included here, those readers who have
not visited the Escorial will, I trust, be enabled to realise something
of its massive grandeur, and to appreciate its significance in the
history of the Spanish nation; while those who propose to inspect this
‘Leviathan of Architecture’ will find these pages useful in directing
their attention to the chief works of art and objects of interest.
In preparing this description, I have sought for historical facts amid
the pages of Don Antonio Rotondo’s large and admirable work upon _The
Escorial_, in the _Historia del Escorial_ of Father Sigüenza, in the
writings of Prescott and Dunham, and the volume of Pedro Madrazo on _New
Castile_. I am also indebted to C. Gasquoine Hartley for notes upon the
artists of the Escorial, gathered from her _Record of Spanish Painting_,
and particularly to Mr. Walter M. Gallichan for his assistance in the
compilation of the material.
Many of the illustrations in this volume appear by the courtesy of Señor
Don J. Lacoste, who supplied the photographs and gave me permission to
reproduce them.
A. F. C.
‘ROYSTON’
SWISS COTTAGE
N.W.
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. PHILIP II. AND THE ESCORIAL, 1
II. THE ESCORIAL FROM WITHOUT, 22
III. THE CHURCH, 31
IV. THE ROYAL MONASTERY, 45
V. THE LIBRARY, 55
VI. THE UNIVERSITY, 62
VII. THE PALACE, 65
VIII. APPENDIXES, 73
IX. PRINCIPAL PICTURES IN THE ESCORIAL, 79
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATE
Plan of the Monastery, 1
View of the Monastery, 2
View of the Monastery from the Orchard, 3
View of the Monastery from the Entrance of the ‘Real
Sitio,’ 4
View of the Monastery from the Romeral, 5
View of the Monastery (East Side), 6
Principal Façade of the Court of the Kings, 7
View of the Court of the Kings, 8
Balcony in the Court of ‘La Compaña,’ 9
View of the ‘Casa del Principe,’ or Lower Lodge, 10
Ascent to the Silla del Rey, the Chair of Philip II., 11
The Silla del Rey, the Chair of Philip II., 12
The Horca (Gallows) Cross, near the Escorial, 13
Garden of the Caseta de Abajo. (Escorial), 14
Source of the Seminario, 15
Source of the Seminario. (Escorial), 16
The Colonnade of the Monastery, 17
View of the Upper Cloister of the Monastery, 18
View of the Upper Cloister of the Monastery, 19
Lower Cloister of the Monastery, 20
View of the Lower Cloister of the Monastery, 21
Snow-pit and Pond of ‘Convalescents,’ 22
‘Convalescents’ Gallery, 23
The Monks’ Walk and ‘Convalescents’ Gallery. (Escorial), 24
‘Convalescents’ Gallery, 25
The Evangelists’ Court, 26
Court with the Springs of the Evangelists, 27
Shield of the Emperor Charles V., 28
Court of the Evangelists, 29
Interior of the Church, 30
Door-knocker of the Church at the Escorial, 31
Choir Stalls. (Basilica of the Monastery), 32
Interior View from the Choir. (Basilica of the Monastery), 33
Interior View. (Basilica of the Monastery), 34
Retablo at the High Altar. (Basilica of the Monastery), 35
Interior View from the High Altar. (Basilica of the
Monastery), 36
Altar-piece at the High Altar, 37
St. Hieronymus and St. Augustine. (Statues of the Altar-piece), 38
St. Matthew and St. Mark. (Statues of the Altar-piece), 39
St. Paul. (Statue of the Altar-piece), 40
St. Gregory and St. Ambrose. (Statues of the Altar-piece), 41
St. Peter. (Statue of the Altar-piece), 42
St. John and St. Luke. (Statues of the Altar-piece), 43
Left Side of the High Altar: Interment of the Emperor
Charles V., 44
Marble Statue of San Lorenzo at the Entrance of the Choir, 45
Interior View of the Chapel, 46
The Tabernacle. (Escorial), 47
Panteon of the Kings. (Entrance Gate), 48
Beautiful Rock Crystal Candelabrum in the Choir of the
Escorial, 49
Casket in Malachite and Lapis-lazuli, ornamented with
beautiful engraved Rock Crystal. (Reliquary of the
Escorial), 50
View of the Panteon of the Kings. (Escorial), 51
Panteon of the Infantes (Interior), 52
Panteon of the Infantes (Interior), 53
Tomb of Charlotte of Bourbon. (Panteon of the Infantes), 54
Tomb of Don John of Austria. (Panteon of the Infantes), 55
View of the Principal Staircase of the Monastery, 56
Library of the Monastery, 57
Library of the Monastery, 58
Library of the Monastery, 59
Library of the Monastery, 60
Golden MS. (10th Century). (Library of the Monastery), 61
Prayer-book of Isabella the Catholic. (Library of the
Monastery), 62
Songs of St. Mary. MS. (13th Century) belonging to
Alfonso the Wise. (Library of the Monastery), 63
Latin Prayer-book of Ferdinand the Catholic. (Library of
the Monastery), 64
Mass-book of Philip II. (Library of the Monastery), 65
Breviary of Charles V. (Library of the Monastery), 66
Psalter of the Emperor Charles V. (Library of the Escorial), 67
Natural History of Pliny the Younger, Italian MS. of the
16th Century. (Library of the Escorial), 68
Page 238 of the Mass-book of Isabella the Catholic: MS.
of the 15th Century, the Vignette of which contains the
name of the Queen. (Library of the Escorial), 69
First page of a Hebrew Bible: precious MSS. of the end of
the 14th Century. (Library of the Escorial), 70
Persian MS., the work of Muhammed Scham El Din
Hapheth, Poet of the 14th Century. (Library of the
Escorial), 71
Manuscript of the Year 1050. (Library of the Escorial), 72
Virgil’s Poems: MS. of the 15th Century, written in Spain.
(Library of the Escorial), 73
Virgil: Manuscript of the Year 966. (Library of the
Escorial), 74
Virgil: Manuscript of the Year 966. (Library of the
Escorial), 75
The Apocalypse of St. John: Manuscript of the 15th Century,
(Library of the Escorial), 76
Two pages of the Koran of Muley Zidan, Emperor of
Morocco in 1594. (Library of the Escorial), 77
‘The Tree of Love,’ written in 1288. (Library of the
Escorial), 78
Persian Manuscript, the work of Muhammed Scham El
Din Hapheth, Poet of the 14th Century. (Library of the
Monastery), 79
Mass-book of Isabel the Catholic, Manuscript of the
15th Century. (Library of the Escorial), 80
Frontispiece of the Koran of Muley Zidan, Emperor of
Morocco in 1594. (Library of the Escorial), 81
Mass-book of the Empress Isabel, Mother of Philip II.
(Library of the Escorial), 82
Mass-book of Philip III. and Queen Margarita. (Library
of the Escorial), 83
Greek Manuscript of the end of the 14th Century. (Library
of the Escorial), 84
Breviary of Philip II. (16th Century). (Library of the
Monastery), 85
Mass-book and Holy Office of Philip II. (Library of the
Monastery), 86
Latin Prayer-book of Ferdinand the Catholic. (Library of
the Monastery), 87
Arabian Manuscript (Natural History). (Library of the
Monastery), 88
Reading Desk in the Choir. (Escorial), 89
Sacristy (Monastery), 90
Paranymph of the College (Monastery), 91
Our Lord Crucified, sculptured in Marble (Monastery), 92
Interment of Philip II. (Monastery), 93
Chapter Room (Monastery), 94
Chapter Room (Monastery), 95
Chapter Hall (Monastery), 96
Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple, attributed to Van
Eyck (Monastery), 97
Altar-piece of the Santa Forma, painted by Claudio Coello.
(Sacristy of the Monastery), 98
Embroidered Altar-cloths. (From the Sacristy), 99
Embroidered Copes. (Sacristy of the Escorial), 100
Casket of Malachite and Lapis-lazuli, ornamented with
engraved Rock Crystal. (Relicario of the Escorial), 101
Christ on the Cross, in Wrought Copper. (Relicario of the
Escorial), 102
Bronze Lectern representing an Eagle, made at Antwerp in
1571. (Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 103
Bronze Lectern representing an Angel, made at Antwerp in
1571, by Jean Simon. (Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 104
St. Michael overcoming the Devil, by Pedro Roldan.
(Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 105
Christ, with the Virgin and St. John: Statues in Marble.
(The Escorial), 106
Gate of the Santa Forma. (Sacristy of the Monastery), 107
Mirror in Rock Crystal. (Sacristy of the Escorial), 108
Altar-piece of Charles V., in Wrought Copper (From the
Camarin of St. Theresa at the Escorial), 109
Alabaster Statue of St. John Baptist. (From the Camarin
of St. Theresa at the Escorial), 110
Inside Cover of a Reliquary which belonged to Pius V.
1566-1572. (From the Camarin of St. Theresa), 111
Reliquary of Rock Crystal. (From the Camarin of St.
Theresa), 112
Bone Reliquary of the end of the 12th Century. (Camarin
of St. Theresa), 113
Reliquary of Wrought Iron, inlaid. (Relicario of the Escorial), 114
Reliquary of Wrought Iron, inlaid. (Relicario of the Escorial), 115
Reception Hall. (Palace), 116
Reception Hall. (Palace), 117
View of the Dining Hall. (Palace), 118
View of the Dining Hall. (Palace), 119
Ante-room. (Casa del Principe), 120
Hall of Ambassadors. (Palace), 121
A Room of Philip II. (Palace), 122
Memorial of King Philip II. (The Escorial), 123
Chairs of Philip IV. (Palace), 124
Escutcheon of King Philip II. (The Escorial), 125
Buen Retiro Porcelain, Imitations of Wedgwood. (The
Hall of China of the Casa del Principe), 126
Buen Retiro Porcelain, Imitations of Wedgwood Panels.
(Casa del Principe), 127
View of the Dining Hall. (Casa del Principe), 128
The Judgment of Solomon (Ivory). (Casa del Principe), 129
The Fisherman caught in the Nets (Ivory). (Casa del
Principe), 130
Sculpture in Ivory called ‘Princesa de San Severo.’ (Casa
del Principe), 131
The Adoration of the Shepherds (Ivory). (Casa del Principe), 132
Round Table with a Tray of Sèvres Porcelain. (Casa del
Principe), 133
Table, Chair, and Porcelain from the Royal Works at Buen
Retiro. (Casa del Principe), 134
Mary Magdalene, from the Royal Works at Buen Retiro.
(Casa del Principe), 135
Buen Retiro Porcelain: Imitation of Wedgwood. (Casa
del Principe), 136
Top of a Round Table in Sèvres Porcelain. (Casa del
Principe), 137
The Descent from the Cross: Sculpture in Ivory. (Palace), 138
Ante-room of Choice Woods. (Palace), 139
Chair of the Emperor Charles V. (Palace), 140
The Emperor Charles V., the Empress Isabel, his Daughter
Maria, his Sisters Eleonora, Queen of France, and Maria,
Queen of Hungary. (Escorial), 141
Pompeian Hall. (Palace), 142
Oratory of Choice Woods in the Ante-chamber. (Palace), 143
Expedition to the Azores. (Hall of Battles), 144
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (1st Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 145
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (2nd Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 146
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (3rd Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 147
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (4th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 148
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (5th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 149
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (6th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 150
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (7th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 151
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (8th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 152
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (9th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 153
Battle of Higueruela, 1431 (10th Section of the Series of
Drawings). (Hall of Battles), 154
Fragment of the Battle of Higueruela, 1431, by Granelo
and Fabricio. (Hall of Battles in the Escorial), 155
Fragment of the Battle of Higueruela, 1431, by Granelo
and Fabricio. (Hall of Battles in the Escorial), 156
Fragment of the Battle of Higueruela, 1431, by Granelo
and Fabricio. (Hall of Battles in the Escorial), 157
Surrender of the Chatelet Fort. (Hall of Battles), 158
The Siege of Han and Surrender of its Castle. (Hall of
Battles), 159
Battle of Gravelinas. (Hall of Battles), 160
Preparations for the Battle of Gravelinas. (Hall of Battles), 161
Taking of St. Quintin by the Spanish Infantry Regiments.
(Hall of Battles), 162
Battle before St. Quintin. (Hall of Battles), 163
Preparations for the Siege of St. Quintin. (Hall of Battles), 164
Departure of the Spanish Army from the Fortified Place of
St. Quintin. (Hall of Battles), 165
The Duke of Alba reviewing his Troops at Cantillana.
(Hall of Battles), 166
Effigies of all the Kings of Spain, from the Time of the
Goths, until Philip V., taken from Charts, Medals, and
Paintings. (Library of the Escorial), 167
Pluto and Proserpina, by L. Giordano. (Casa del Principe
at the Escorial), 168
Allegory of Africa, by L. Giordano. (Casa del Principe
at the Escorial), 169
Phaeton struck by Jupiter’s Thunderbolt. (Casa del
Principe at the Escorial), 170
The Battle of Lepanto, by L. Giordano. (Reproduced
from the Fresco in the Escorial), 171
Expedition to the Terceire Isle (Azores). (Fragment of a
Fresco Painting in the Hall of Battles), 172
Apollo and Mercury, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco on
the Arch of the Library of the Escorial), 173
A Sweet Singer, by Watteau. (Museum of the Escorial), 174
A Love Scene, by Watteau. (Museum of the Escorial), 175
Philip II. receiving a Deputation from the Low Countries
in the Escorial, by Sant Arcos, 176
Portrait of Philip II. at the age of 71, by Antonio Moro.
(Library of the Escorial), 177
Second Set of Effigies of all the Kings of Spain, from the
Time of the Goths, until Philip V., taken from Charts,
Medals, and Paintings. (Library of the Escorial), 178
St. Isidore, by Corrado. (In the Museum at the Escorial), 179
Pan and Misenus, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco of the
Arch in the Library of the Escorial), 180
Homer and Virgil, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco of the
Arch in the Library of the Escorial), 181
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, by V. Carducci. (Fresco
of the Arch in the Library of the Escorial), 182
Pindar and Horace, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco of the
Arch in the Library of the Escorial), 183
The Visitation, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco of the Arch
in the Cloister of the Escorial), 184
The Marriage of the Virgin, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (Fresco
in the Cloister of the Escorial), 185
The Annunciation, by Lucas Cangiagi. (Fresco in the
Cloister of the Escorial), 186
Triptych, with Paintings on Vellum. (Camarin of St.
Theresa), 187
The Seven Capital Sins, by Jerome Bosch, on Wood. (In
the Room of Philip II. at the Escorial), 188
The Story of the Passion: Diptych, in Ivory, of the 13th
Century. (From the Camarin of St. Theresa), 189
Frieze of the Staircase in the Monastery, representing the
Battle, Siege, and Capture of St. Quintin, and the
Foundation of the Monastery, by L. Giordano, 190
‘La Santa Forma,’ the Masterpiece of Claude Coello.
(Sacristy of the Escorial), 191
The Resurrection, by Peregrino Tibaldi. (The Cloister of
the Escorial), 192
The Interment of Christ, by Tintoretto. (Chapter Hall of
the Escorial), 193
Jesus at the Pharisee’s House, by Tintoretto. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 194
The Resurrection of Our Lord: Florentine School, Grey
Painting. (Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 195
The Birth of Our Lord, by Tintoretto. (Chapter Room of
the Escorial), 196
The Annunciation, by Paul Veronèse. (Chapter Room of
the Escorial), 197
Porus brought before Alexander the Great, by Carlos van
Loo. (Monastery of the Escorial), 198
The Crown of Thorns, by Jerome Bosch, on Wood.
(Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 199
Triptych, by Jerome Bosch. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 200
Triptych, representing the Terrestrial Delights, and the
Punishment of Sin in Hell, by Jerome Bosch. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 201
Portrait of Charles V. at the age of 47, by Juan Pantoja.
(Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 202
Christ bringing forth the Souls of the Saints: Florentine
School. (Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 203
The Washing of Feet, by Tintoretto. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 204
The Nativity, by Josef Ribera. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 205
The Last Supper, by Titian. (The Escorial), 206
St. Christopher (on Wood), by J. Patinier. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 207
Jacob receiving Joseph’s Coat, by Velazquez. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 208
The Penitent Magdalene, by L. Giordano. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 209
Mummy of Charles V., by V. Palmaroli. (The Escorial), 210
Jacob guarding the Flocks of Laban, by J. Ribera. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 211
The Satyr Marsyas flayed alive by Apollo, by L. Giordano.
(Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 212
Lot and his Family, by A. Vaccaro. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 213
The Adoration of the Magi, by Veronèse. (Chapter Hall
of the Escorial), 214
The Chastisement of Arachne, by L. Giordano. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 215
Alexander conquering Darius, by F. Solimena. (Monastery), 216
St. Maurice and other Martyrs, by El Greco. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 217
Queen Esther, by Tintoretto. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 218
The Annunciation, and the Birth of Christ, by Coxcis.
(Chapter Hall of the Escorial), 219
The Holy Trinity, by J. Ribera. (Chapter Hall of the
Escorial), 220
Vision of Jesus to His Mother, by P. Veronèse. (Chapter
Hall of the Escorial), 221
The Carnation Gardener, by F. Bayeu. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 222
The Water-seller, by F. Bayeu. (Tapestry in the Palace), 223
The Young Bull at Carabanchel de Abajo, by F. Bayeu.
(Tapestry in the Palace), 224
Promenade of Las Delicias, by F. Bayeu. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 225
The Pork Merchant, by F. Bayeu. (Tapestry in the Palace), 226
Departure for the Hunt, after P. Wouwerman, by Gines de
Aguirre. (Tapestry in the Palace), 227
Descent from the Cross. (R. Van der Weyden), 228
Child riding a Sheep, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 229
A Lady and her Cavalier, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 230
Country Dance, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Dining
Hall of the Palace), 231
Casting of Bullets in a Forest, by Goya. (Casa del Principe,
Escorial), 232
The Kite, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Escorial Palace), 233
The Washerwomen, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 234
Young Man with a Bird, and a Bagpiper, by F. Goya.
(Tapestry in the Palace), 235
A Promenade in Andalusia, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 236
The China Merchant, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 237
Dogs in a Leash, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 238
The Little Giants, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 239
The Grape-sellers, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 240
The Card-players, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 241
The Wood-cutters, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 242
Children picking Fruit, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 243
Children climbing a Tree, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the
Palace), 244
The See-saw, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 245
The Reapers, by F. Goya. (Tapestry in the Palace), 246
Tapestry after the Pompeian Style. (In the Palace), 247
Story of Telemachus: the Dance of the Nymphs. (Gobelin
Tapestry in the Palace), 248
Story of Telemachus: Neptune wrecking Ulysses’ Vessel,
(Gobelin Tapestry in the Palace), 249
Story of Telemachus: Calypso. (Gobelin Tapestry in the
Palace), 250
Story of Telemachus: young Telemachus. (Gobelin
Tapestry in the Palace), 251
Children playing at Bull-fighting, by F. Bayeu. (Tapestry
in the Escorial Palace), 252
The Gardens of Buen Retiro. (Tapestry in the Palace), 253
St. Joseph and the Child Jesus. (Casa del Principe), 254
The Judgment of Solomon, by F. de Urbina. (Ceiling in
the Prior’s Cell in the Monastery), 255
The Virgin, by Corrado. (Casa del Principe), 256
Woman reading a Letter, by D. Teniers. (Casa del Principe), 257
The Conversion of St. Paul, by L. Giordano. (Casa del
Principe), 258
Apollo grieving over the Death of his son Phaeton: Buen-Retiro
China. (Casa del Principe), 259
The Fall and Death of Julian the Apostate, by L. Giordano.
(Casa del Principe), 260
The Bagpiper, by D. Teniers. (Casa del Principe), 261
St. John the Baptist, by Annibale Caracci. (Casa del
Principe), 262
A Smoker, by D. Teniers. (Casa del Principe), 263
The Heliades, Daughters of the Sun, changed into Poplars,
after the Death of their brother Phaeton: Buen-Retiro
China. (Casa del Principe), 264
The Conception of the Virgin, by an unknown Artist. (Casa
del Principe), 265
The Holy Family, by Raphael. (Casa del Principe), 266
Semiramis fighting the Enemy, by L. Giordano. (Casa del
Principe), 267
The Rape of the Sabines, by L. Giordano. (Casa del
Principe), 268
Allegory of America, by L. Giordano. (Casa del Principe), 269
Allegory of Asia, by L. Giordano. (Casa del Principe), 270
The Dream of Philip II., by El Greco. (Chapter Hall of
the Escorial), 271
Effigies of the different Kings of Spain, 272
Effigies of the different Kings of Spain, 273
Effigies of the different Kings of Spain, 274
The Prince’s Room. (Escorial), 275
Pompeian Room. (Escorial), 276
Tower Room (Caseta de Abajo). (Escorial), 277
The Royal Palace and Monastery: plan and section, 278
THE ESCORIAL
I
PHILIP II. AND THE ESCORIAL
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 Philip II. of Spain. It is a monument to 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, Charles V., 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),
Philip II. became ruler over the whole of the Spanish dominion at home
and abroad.
The heir of Charles V. 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 John III. of
Portugal and Catherine, sister of the Emperor Charles V. 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 Philip II., not yet a sovereign, married Mary of England. The
union was arranged by his father, Charles V., and for a time the prince
lived in England with his bride. He was, 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 Elizabeth of 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, in combined 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 Philip II. in building the monastery of the Escorial.
He was under an obligation by the will of Charles V. 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. The _scoriæ_, 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 lasted two 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 the erection 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; everything must 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. A fear, 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 the church 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. The cause, 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 procession entered 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 Philip
II. 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 zeal in 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 Philip II. 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 pleasures of 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, Philip III. 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 Philip IV. 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, the _Panteon_ was 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 Charles V., undertaken by Philip II., carried on by Philip
III., and completed by Philip IV.’
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.
Charles III. made a few additions to the Escorial, and his son proposed
the addition of a bull-ring; but the king, upon hearing of this
project, 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 Charles IV. 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 Ferdinand VII., the
completion of the work being celebrated on the day of San Lorenzo. Upon
the death of the king many of the pictures were transferred from the
Escorial to Madrid.
In 1846 Isabella II. 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 his _Memoirs_, 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_.
II
THE ESCORIAL FROM WITHOUT
The Real 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 Philip II. 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 Philip II. has declared that: ‘It is
impossible to properly describe the grace, the ornaments, the grandeur,
and the majestic harmony, that one remarks in this 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.’