\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \qj\li105\ri105 \f1 \b SAN LORENZO OF THE ESCORIAL\par
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\b0 The Escorial can be defined as a "collective" work of art. Alongside King Phil
ip II, the leading figures in its construction were the two architects Juan Bautista de Toledo, who drew up the first set of plans, and Juan de Herrera who, succeeding him, made his own rationalistic and mathematical contribution to the building.\par
In
spite of its geometric perfection, the monastery of the Escorial has been described as a Mannerist work by some critics, since the tendency toward austerity, grandeur, and order has been taken to such extremes.\par
The reason for its construction outsi
de \b \cf4 \ATXht134 Madrid\cf0 \ATXht0 \b0 and far away from the court remains a mystery. Perhaps King Philip II, wanting to emphasize the extension of his empire and power beyond the borders of Spain, represented by the capital Madrid, commissioned Ju
an Bautista de Toledo to erect a building whose magnificence and sobriety would present an ideal image of his empire and his own person.\par
Situated on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the Escorial was intended for simultaneous use as a
monastery, palace, and pantheon for the royal family. Its construction began after the victory at the battle of St. Quentin, on August 10 (the feast day of St Lawrence) 1557 and was completed twenty-one years later. Philip II was directly involved in bo
th the design and the decoration of the building.\par
The monastery has a rectangular plan of 207 meters (679 feet) by 162 meters (532 feet), with a tower at each corner. The perfection of its proportions is mainly due to Juan de Herrera.\par
The libra
ry contains a number of treasures, including one of the eight copies of the \i Beato di Liebana\i0 , one of the highest examples of\b \cf4 \ATXht175 Romanesque \b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 painting.\par
