The cathedral dating from 1525 is the last great Gothic church in Spain. Felipe II's imposing grey palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial stands out against the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama to the northwest of Madrid. It was built between 1563 and 1584. Its artistic wealth, which includes some of the most important works of art of the royal Habsburg collections, is concentrated in the museums, chapterhouses, church, royal pantheon and library. General Franco had the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen built as a memorial to those who died in the Civil War.
Visitors can take a lift up to the arms of the cross.
The massive cathedral took three centuries to build. The Visigoths made Toledo their capital. In the Middle Ages, Toledo was a melting pot of Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures. El Greco came to live in Toledo and today the city is home to many of his works. Easily reached from Madrid by rail, bus or car, and is then best explored on foot.