El Escorial (Wonders of Man)

by Mary Cable

Book Overview

FASCINATING STORY OF HE VAST MONASTERY-PALACE THAT WAS THE SPIRITUAL AND POLITICAL HEART OF SPAIN IN THE TURBULENT 16T CENTURY. IMAGES INCLUDED* This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0882250086
• ISBN13: 9780882250083
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Newsweek Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 2.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Eighth Wonder of the World

Anyone interested in the rich history of 16th century Spain will love this book. The oversized book is as informative as it is engrossing with it's lavish photographs that one can only marvel at. The color photographs are the real treasure here and a glimpse into the opulence and extravagance of Catholic Spain. There are over over 100 photographs, over half in color often taking up the whole page. The book is part of a series Newsweek used to have in their book division entitled "Wonders of Man." Besides the magnificent color photographs there are illuminated manuscripts, old sketches and engravings. Many of the featured items are by famous artists such as Goya, El Greco and Velasquez. Goya's cartoons or his orginal art on a smaller scale for his masterpieces were used to create the tapestries hanging in El Escorial. The visual parts of this book are to be enjoyed over and over again. The text itself is a fascinating read into the lives of the famous and infamous rulers of Spain during it's imperial zenith. Much of the book is dedicated to Phillip II who built El Escorial as a monument to the zeal of the Counter- Reformation. The king dedicated much of his forty-two year reign, and money gained from conquering the new world, into building this stone edifice, which was in honor of Saint Lawrence and a tribute to Catholic Spain. The book takes the reader through the troubles encountered and the many architects and artists involved in creating "the eigth wonder of the world." Unfortunately the succesors to the crown of Phillip II were not as competent and had other interests and El Escorial went thrpough deterioation and eventually restoration. Within the church, underneath the altar, are the remains of eleven Spanish kings, including Phillip II himself. The polished marble coffins of their queens are viewable in a two page color photograph that is big enough so that the names of the queeens can be read. The story of the succession of the Bourbon crown over the Hapsburgs reads like a telenovela complete with stories of lies and deciet, murder and even rumors of necrophilia. It is a story of the Spanish crown when it was at it's zenith up to and including the reign of Juan Carlos in modern times and their relationships with El Escorial.At the end of the book there is a section dedicated to El Escorial in literature and the Spanish Succession lineage from 1469-1931. After reading this book I had a new found respect and admiration for the reign of Phillip II and the legacy he left the world, his monument in stone to Catholic Spain. I would recommend this book to history buffs or art enthusiasts, especially those interested in the Catholic Church or Spain at the heights of it's powers. It is definitely worth the relatively inexpensive price with it's treasure of visual delights.