Monasteries in the Region of Madrid

The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is one of the most important monumental complexes in Spain and Europe. Built between 1563 and 1584 by order of King Philip II, the complex includes a royal palace, basilica, monastery, royal pantheon, library, college, and various palatial buildings, making it a major political, religious, and cultural center of the Spanish monarchy.

The foundation of the monastery responded to two main objectives: to fulfill the will of Emperor Charles V, who entrusted Philip II with finding a suitable burial place for himself and Empress Isabella, and to commemorate the Spanish victory at the Battle of Saint-Quentin (1557) against the French troops. Since the victory took place on the feast day of Saint Lawrence, the monastery was dedicated to this saint and entrusted to the monks of the Order of Saint Jerome, who had long been closely linked to the Spanish monarchy since the time of the Catholic Monarchs.

The architectural project was initiated by Juan Bautista de Toledo, who directed the works until 1567. After his death, Juan de Herrera took over the project, redefining several key elements and consolidating the characteristic austere and monumental style that would later be known as the Herrerian style. The chosen site was the slope of Mount Abantos, in a healthy and peaceful setting near the small village of El Escorial.

The complex is organized around several spaces of great historical and artistic importance. The Palace of the Habsburgs follows the layout of the palace of Charles I at Yuste and preserves the Royal Quarters and the Hall of Battles, a long vaulted gallery decorated with mural paintings by Fabrizio Castello, Niccolò Granello, Orazio Cambiaso, and Lázaro Tavarone, depicting important military events such as the Battles of La Higueruela, Saint-Quentin, and Gravelines.

In contrast to the sobriety of the original palace, the Palace of the Bourbons, located north of the basilica, features a richer decorative style. During the reign of Charles IV, a new staircase designed by Juan de Villanueva was built, with a vault painted in fresco by Luca Giordano. The interiors were further enriched with tapestries designed by Francisco Bayeu and Francisco de Goya, along with notable furnishings.

The Monastery Library, conceived as one of Philip II’s great cultural projects, houses important bibliographic collections from Spain and abroad. Designed by Juan de Herrera, it contains more than 40,000 volumes of great historical value. Its barrel-vaulted ceiling is decorated with frescoes representing the seven liberal arts, painted by Pellegrino Tibaldi.

At the center of the complex stands the Basilica, which is accessed through the Courtyard of the Kings. Its façade features sculptures of the Kings of Judah created by Juan Bautista Monegro. Inside, the church has a large dome and numerous chapels. The vaults of the central nave were painted in the seventeenth century by Luca Giordano, while the choir is decorated with a fresco by Luca Cambiaso depicting the contemplation of Glory. The High Altarpiece, designed by Juan de Herrera and executed by Pedro Castello, incorporates gilded bronze sculptures by Pompeo Leoni, as well as works by Federico Zuccaro and Pellegrino Tibaldi, and a Calvary created by Jacopo da Trezzo.

Beneath the basilica lies the Pantheon of Kings, whose construction began in 1617 based on a project modified by Juan Bautista Crescenci, where most Spanish monarchs since Philip II are buried. Nearby is the Pantheon of the Infantes, later built in white Carrara marble.

The former Chapter Rooms, where the monks once held their meetings, now house an important painting museum. Among the works preserved there are The Last Supper and Saint Jerome by Titian, Joseph’s Tunic by Diego Velázquez, and The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Anthony van Dyck. Their vaults were decorated with Renaissance frescoes by Niccolò Granello and Fabrizio Castello, and the collection also includes works by European masters such as Hieronymus Bosch, Rogier van der Weyden, Patinir, Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Federico Barocci, El Greco, José de Ribera, Zurbarán, and Alonso Cano, among others.

Thanks to its historical, artistic, and architectural richness, the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial stands as one of the greatest examples of the Spanish Renaissance and a symbol of the power of the Habsburg monarchy, as well as one of the most emblematic cultural destinations in the Community of Madrid.

The monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Visitación, also known as the Descalzas Reales, is a cloistered monastery of Poor Clares founded in 1559 by Juana de Austria, widow of Prince Juan Manuel of Portugal, sister of King Philip II and mother of the future Portuguese king Don Sebastián. It is located in the heart of Madrid, in the Plaza de las Descalzas, near Puerta del Sol, Plaza del Celenque and Calle Preciados.

The monastery was built on the site of an old palace, which may have belonged to Alfonso VI. In the 16th century it belonged to the royal treasurer Alonso Gutiérrez de Madrid, and it was the birthplace of Juana of Austria.

The work to transform the palace into a convent was directed by Diego Sillero. The church, completed in 1564, is said to be the work of Juan Bautista de Toledo, although recent studies suggest that it is the creation of Francesco Paciotto. The cloister is known for the processions that take place in it during Holy Week.

The Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales boasts an important artistic heritage, including the tapestries of The Eucharistic Apotheosis, designed by Rubens and produced by the Flemish looms of Raes and Geubels, and the Madonna and Child by Bernardino Luini.

The Royal Monastery of La Encarnación is one of the most emblematic Baroque monuments of 17th century Madrid and was founded in 1611 by Queen Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, as a cloistered convent. 

The church, work of Juan Gómez de Mora, is richly ornamented with sculptures and paintings, including works by artists such as Alonso Cano, Gregorio Fernández and Francisco Rizi. Of particular importance is the reliquary which houses a collection of 700 pieces made of bronze, coral, ivory and fine woods from Italy, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

Listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest, the monastery also includes a series of monastic rooms, which can be visited, including the cell of Queen Isabella of Bourbon, the refectory and the choir.

If you want to discover more about the Madrid Baroque, don´t miss out a visit to the Royal Monastery of La Encarnación.

The Monastery is located at Plaza de la Encarnación, 1, in the centre of Madrid. 

For more than six centuries, the imposing Monastery of Santa María de El Paular has overlooked Rascafría.

Set in the majestic landscape of the Lozoya valley, it houses around fifty paintings by the Venetian painter Vicente Carducho. Located about two kilometres from the town centre, the architectural complex of the Monastery of Santa María de El Paular consists of the monastery, the church and a palace. The latter, which was intended to house the kings, was converted into a hotel in the 1970s and is currently temporarily closed.

The Carthusian monastery of Nuestra Señora de Santa María de El Paular, the first Carthusian foundation in Castile, was an important cultural and economic centre for centuries, until the confiscation of the monastery in the 19th century caused its decline. From the mid-20th century onwards, a Benedictine community dedicated to monastic life and to the care of guests and visitors settled here.

The monastery is a jewel of monastic art with a rich collection of paintings by Vicente Carducho. Here we can admire 52 of the 56 original paintings, on loan from the Prado Museum.

The Monastery of Santa María La Real de Valdeiglesias, located in the town of Pelayos de la Presa, is one of the oldest and most iconic monuments in Madrid Region.

Founded in the 12th century by Alfonso VII, it is one of the most outstanding examples of Cistercian architecture in Spain.

The monastery has witnessed the history of Madrid for centuries, being sacked, burned and abandoned. Yet always rising from the ashes to reveal its history.

It features a Latin cross plan, with a central nave and two aisles with the chevet formed by a polygonal apse and two side chapels.

The monastery houses a collection of valuable religious art, including paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects. Some of the most outstanding pieces include a 14th-century Gothic altarpiece, a 15th-century image of the Virgin of Valdeiglesias and a 16th-century Plateresque choir stalls.

Park of the Monastery :

Next to the Monastery there  is a 20-hectare park. The park is inhabited by a great variety of trees and plants, including pines, eucalyptus and cypresses.

How to get to the Monastery of Santa María La Real de Valdeiglesias:

The monastery is located in the town of Pelayos de la Presa, some 60 kilometres from Madrid. It can be reached by car, bus or train.

By car, take the M-501 road, at exit 43. By bus, get the 664 bus service, which leaves from Madrid bus station.

Visit the Monastery of Santa María La Real de Valdeiglesias and discover this exceptional monument, with its history, architecture and charm.

The monastery was built as a cloistered nuns convent by the architect Juan Gómez de Mora and houses a museum showing the way the nuns lived and where you can admire the monastery's magnificent art collection.

It was founded as a cloistered convent for Cistercian nuns by order of the Archbishop of Toledo, under the direction of the architect Juan Gómez de Mora, who designed the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, the Clerecia in Salamanca and the Pantheon of Kings at the Escorial.

The construction of the monastery began in 1618, and inside it there is a majestic oval dome, the largest of its kind in Spain. In addition to the church, the monastery had a cell area, a large and small cloister, an upper and lower choir, a chapter house, two sacristies, kitchen, pantry, cellar, porter's lodge, parlours and a small inn.

Note the façade and Saint Bernard statue , a work attributed to the Portuguese sculptor Manuel Pereira, whose hands also created the carvings for the Church of the Society of Jesus. 
In the upper gallery of the church is the Cistercian Cloistered Museum of San Bernardo, which recreates a cloistered cell and kitchen, along with part of the magnificent art collection that the monastery has guarded for centuries.

The adjoining building is the Archbishop's Palace, the official summer residence of the archbishops and bishops of Toledo and Alcalá, which suffered a fire in 1939 that affected the monastic complex. Thanks to various restoration projects, the dome and the lantern that crowns it were restored to their splendour.