Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-01
miscellaneous.
The Escurial.
THE PALACE AND MAUsoLEUM OF THE
KINGS OF SPAIN.

The Escurial comprises convent, church,
palace and mausoleum. IL is situated
about twenty seven miles northwest of
Madrid, on the slope of the Sierra de
Gaudarrama. The surrounding country
is sterile and gloomy wilderness. The
Escurial was founded by Philip II. of
Spain in fulfillment of VOW to st. Law
renee, made after the battle of St. Quen-
tin, on August 10, 1851. in which he was
victorious over the French army. The
work was intrusted to the architect John
Baptist. of Toledo, and the first stone was
laid in 1868. Upon the death of the orig
inai architect. in 1867. his place was
filled by pupil. Juan Herrera. The
masonry was concluded in 1884, and the
entire work was completed in 1898, but
has since been added to or adorned by al
most every Spanish monarch--notably by
Ferdinand VII.
The grand plan of the building, which
is in the shape of gridiron, in the men,
ory of the martydom OF St. Lawrence, is
estimated to cover 396,7S square feet.
The building is 740 feet long aud $50
wide. There are seven towers, fifteen
gateways. and, it is SAID, twelve thousand
windows and doors. The exterior of the
Escurial is grimly plain and massive.
The chief entrance is never opened except
to receive the king, whether alive or dead.
Over the second grand entrance. in the
Court of Kings are six finely carved stat
ues, II feet high. representing the kings
of Judah.
The church is one OF the grandest
Renaissance edtices in Europe 1t is $40
feet from east to west by POO from north
to south, and rectangular in plan. The
dome is 60 feet in diameter. and its height
is 320 feet The magnificent bronzes and
marbles and the rich paintings of the high
altar form a striking contrast with the
bold and simple forms of architecture.
Directly under the altar is the Panteon
or royal mausoleum, in which only kings
and mothers of kings can lie. The walls
and ceiling OF the stairway which descends
to the mausoleum are of jasper. The
burial chamber is octagonial in plan and
encrus.ted in jasper, porphyly and other
precious materials. There are twenty-six
inches, containing sarcophagi of green
marble. Here are entombed the remains
OF Charles ", of Philip III, and OF near
y all their successors. For other mem.
bers of the royol family there is another
mausoleum known as the Panteon de los
Infantes.
The palace contains suit of marvel
ously decorated rooms, which were for
merly occupied by Queen Isabella in sum-
mer. The inlaid work is very elaborate
and costly, and rare paintings, TAPESTRIES
and sculptures add interest and beauty A
small room or cell is shown. IN which
Philip III. died in 1898. An opening in
the wall of this cell admits view of the
high altar of the church. The library of
the Escurial was at one time one OF the
richest in Europe, but it suffered much in
the fire of 1871. and it has suffered since
from plumber ahd neglect. The Escurial
contains lrescoes by Tidbaldi, Carbajal
Carducho and Lucas Jordan Among
the paintings are works by Titan, Tinteret
and Velasquez.
The cont1agraton of 1911 ragged for fif-
teen days, little but the church surviving
uninjured. On the night OF October |,
1872, "A fire broke out in the palace and
the upper library The damage done then
has been repaired almost entirely.