Fundación Telefónica

The peculiar architecture of this monastery, designed by Juan de Herrera, was to create a school of followers, so much so that from then on the type of architecture represented by this building has been referred to as "Herrerian".

Intended by King Phillip II to serve as a royal pantheon, palace and monastery for the greater glory of Emperor Carlos V, construction commenced in the year 1563 and ended in 1584. The same "San Lorenzo" is no random coincidence. The building was given this name to commemorate the victory at the battle of St. Quentin, which occurred on St. Lawrence's Day.

The architects
Juan de Toledo was the architect in charge of starting the construction work, following the model of the Alcázar in Toledo, i.e. a square layout with a tower on each corner. The building was divided in three vertical zones, with the Kings' Courtyard in the centre, thus called because of the statues of the Kings of Judah that decorate its façade.

After the death of Juan de Toledo in 1567, Juan de Herrera was in charge of continuing the work.

The building
The location of the Monastery was by no means a casual decision. Stonemasons, astrologists, theologians and architects searched for the most suitable place to build it for years.

The building, which was made of granite from the Guadarrama mountains, stands out for its decorative starkness, geometric rigour and for the mathematical links between the elements, adopting the shape of a gridiron, the means by which St. Lawrence was martyred, with four towers at the corners.

The external decoration is a geometric play of pyramids and spheres in the strictest sobriety, with four 55m high towers at the corners, covered with slate capitals capped with large metal balls.

To meet the Court's needs in terms of accommodation and services, the House of Trades, the Ministry buildings, the Princes' House, the Queen's House and the Company Quarters were all built, joined together by arches. All of these buildings were made of granite and stand out for their simplicity.

The temple
With a Greek cross and a huge central dome, the architectural surprise is the flat vault that supports the high choir. This was the place where the people attended religious ceremonies, as the interior was reserved for the aristocracy and the royalty.

The main chapel, which is deep and high, was designed to hold underneath the crypt for the royal burials, with the funeral monuments of Carlos I and Phillip II on either side.

West-facing façade
To commemorate the victory at the battle of St. Quentin, this façade was oriented towards the place where the sun set on 10th August, the day on which the aforementioned battle took place.

Flanked by two of the four towers of the building, it breaks up the linearity of the main body, in which the highlight is the main doorway.

The library
Holds one of the most valuable bibliographical collections in the world, with almost 45,000 documents from the 15th and 16th centuries and more than 5,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Latin and Castilian. Located on the second floor of the main body of the west-facing façade, it is a large elongated nave with a barrel vault reinforced by a series of arches that frame the upper windows.

The frescoes that cover it are among the best examples of Renaissance frescoes. They were done by Pellegrino Tibaldo and Incola Granello, who followed Michelangelo's example from the Sistine Chapel.

Kings' Courtyard
Its name is derived from the six large statues of the monarchs of Judah that decorate the temple façade. Access is straight through the lobby at the main door. Its layout is perfectly proportioned.

Basilica Façade
An immense unadorned wall of granite, with two towers at the ends. Its location, inside the building, is one of the architectural peculiarities of the monastery, with the windows geometrically carved without frames or cornices.

Sacristy
This is an elongated room in which the highlight are the fourteen windows, which provide excellent lighting. The highlight of this room is an oil painting by Claudio Coello, the chamber painter to Carlos II.

Pantheon of Kings
The stairs that leads down to the royal burial places start at the ante-sacristy, and the corridor that leads to the Princes' Pantheon leaves from the first landing. The pantheon has an octagonal floor plan, and access to the royal tombs, which are located under the main altar, is by descending 34 steps.

Monks' Gardens
Phillip II was a great nature enthusiast and therefore the gardens play a fundamental role throughout the building setting. These gardens are the only ones that are open to visitors.