If you're spending some time in Madrid, consider adding two nearby attractions to your list of things to do: The Royal Monastery of El Escorial (Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial) and the Valley of the Fallen (El Valle de los Caídos). Both these places have deep roots in Spanish history.

El Escorial

Spain's Felipe II was one of history 's most powerful, forbidding, and deeply religious kings. The monastery he constructed on the slopes of the Guadarrama Mountains between 1563 and 1584 is massive, severe, and rectilinear, supposedly modeled after the red hot grille on which San Lorenzo was martyred. It dominates the hillside on which it rests, and can be seen from many miles away.

Felipe built the monastery to memorialize Spain's victory over the French at Saint-Quentin in 1557, and as the burial place for his father, Emperor Carlos V. Legend has it that Felipe also intended to make amends for destroying a church dedicated to San Lorenzo during that battle.

Felipe died here shortly after the monastery was completed, and according to the nature of the man, his bedroom, which looks out into the chapel, is more like a monk's cell than the chamber of a great monarch. Later royal residents decorated according to their own tastes, which were generally much more lavish.

The Royal Pantheon is the most interesting chamber in the building. Most of the Spanish kings since Carlos I are interred here in a huge chamber with stacks of sumptuous marble and bronze sarcophagi, three of which are still awaiting future monarchs. Queens who bore sons who became king are also interred here, but other queens and children who never ruled are interred nearby in the Pantheon of the Infantes. All of these tombs are an amazing sight.

The lavish library, with 40,000 rare books is another highlight as are the rich tapestries woven from "cartoons" by Goya, Rubens, and El Greco. The "New Museums" area houses paintings by Velásquez, El Greco, David, Rivera, Tintoretto, Rubens, and others in a truly remarkable collection. In the basilica, you'll see Titian's remarkable fresco of San Lorenzo being roasted alive.

El Valle de Los Caídos

El Valle de Los Caídos is a truly chilling memorial to Spanish fascism. The site is marked by a huge cross, nearly 500 feet tall, which can be seen from 20 miles away, and which continues to grow, almost beyond reason, as you approach more closely along pine covered slopes.

The main attraction is a massive basilica, carved into a solid granite hillside below the cross. Here, amid loudly echoing footsteps and a decorative and sculptural style reminiscent of the Nazi era, you'll confront the tomb of Francisco Franco. I found it stunning that many people were there praying reverently at Franco's marker while others looked as if they were about to spit or break down. Next to Franco, you'll find the tomb of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Spanish Falange. Tapestries of the Apocalypse only add to the generally horrifying ambiance.

The cross and basilica were built by the forced labor of Republican prisoners after the civil war.

Getting There

El Escorial is about 30 miles from Madrid, and it's easy to get there and to El Valle de los Caídos by car, train, bus, or organized tour. With the trek from Madrid, seeing both places will just about take up a whole day, with the majority of time devoted to El Escorial. Be prepared for large crowds at El Escorial.


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov