El Escorial

El Escorial is a famous royal site in Spain. It was built in the late 1500s. El Escorial is a monastery, a royal palace, a museum and a school. It is located about northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Five miles from the main building is a hunting lodge called Granjilla de La Fresneda, which is also part of the Escorial.
Architecture.
The building was designed by the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo to the plans of King Philip II. El Escorial is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a very popular tourist attraction.
El Escorial was one of 100 finalists for the 12 Treasures of Spain in 2007.