Escurial

Escurial, The, a palace of the Kings of Spain, now falling to decay, situated 2,700 feet above the sea level in the Sierra Guadarrama, between old and New Castile. It was built in fulfilment of a vow by Philip II. between 1563 and 1584, and was intended to represent the gridiron which was the instrument of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence, to whom it was dedicated. Besides the palace, it formerly contained a monastery and a chapel, the palace and chapel being, so to speak, in the handle of the gridiron. The parallelogram which represents the body of the instrument is 744 feet by 580. Towers of 200 feet in height at the extremities represent the feet, and the to-j/er of the church is 330 feet high. The Kings of Spain are buried beneath the church. There is a good library, with many Greek and Arabic MSS., and there is a very 'fine collection of paintings.