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Side Trip to El Escorial

50 km (31 mi) northwest of Madrid.

Felipe II was one of history''s most deeply religious and forbidding monarchs -- not to mention one of its most powerful -- and the great granite monastery that he had constructed in a remarkable 21 years (1563-84) is an enduring testament to his character. Outside Madrid in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Royal Monastery of St. Lawrence of Escorial) is severe, rectilinear, and unforgiving -- one of the most gigantic yet simple architectural monuments on the Iberian Peninsula.

Felipe built the monastery in the village of San Lorenzo de El Escorial to commemorate Spain''s crushing victory over the French at Saint-Quentin on August 10, 1557, and as a final resting place for his all-powerful father, the Holy Roman Emperor Carlos V. He filled the place with treasures as he ruled the largest empire the world has ever seen, knowing all the while that a marble coffin awaited him in the pantheon deep below. The building''s vast rectangle, encompassing 16 courts, is modeled on the red-hot grille upon which St. Lawrence was martyred -- appropriate enough, since August 10 was that saint''s day. (It''s also said that Felipe''s troops accidentally destroyed a church dedicated to St. Lawrence during the battle and he sought to make amends).

El Escorial is easily reached by car, train, bus, or organized tour from Madrid. If you plan on taking public transportation, the bus is probably the best alternative. Herranz''s Lines 661 (through Galapagar) and 664 (through Guadarrama) depart a few times every hour(they run less frequently on the weekends) from bay number 3 at the Intercambiador (station) at Moncloa. The 50-minute ride leaves you within a five-minute walk from the Monastery.

You can also take the cercanías C-8a (commuter train C-8a) from either Atocha or Chamartín. However, trains run less frequently than the buses and stop at the town of El Escorial, from where you must either take bus L-4 (also run by Herranz) to San Lorenzo de El Escorial (where the monastery is located) or take a strenuous, long walk uphill. To get to the local tourist office (Calle Grimaldi 2, PHONE: 91/890-5313), cross the arch that''s across from the visitors'' entrance to the monastery. The building and its adjuncts -- a palace, museum, church, and more -- can take hours or even days to tour. Easter Sunday''s candlelight midnight mass draws crowds, as does the summer tourist season.

The monastery was begun by Juan Bautista de Toledo but finished in 1584 by Juan de Herrera, who would eventually give his name to a major Spanish architectural school. It was completed just in time for Felipe to die here, gangrenous and tortured by the gout that had plagued him for years, in the tiny, sparsely furnished bedroom that resembled a monk''s cell more than the resting place of a great monarch. It''s in this bedroom -- which looks out, through a private entrance, into the royal chapel -- that you most appreciate the man''s spartan nature. Spain''s later Bourbon kings, such as Carlos III and Carlos IV, had clearly different tastes, and their apartments, connected to Felipe''s by the Hall of Battles, are far more luxurious.

Perhaps the most interesting part ofthe entire Escorial is the Panteón de los Reyes (Royal Pantheon), which contains the body of every king since Carlos I save three -- Felipe V (buried at La Granja), Ferdinand VI (in Madrid), and Amadeus of Savoy (in Italy). The body of Alfonso XIII, who died in Rome in 1941, was brought to El Escorial in January 1980. The rulers'' bodies lie in 26 sumptuous marble and bronze sarcophagi that line the walls (three of which are empty, awaiting future rulers). Only those queens who bore sons later crowned lie in the same crypt; the others, along with royal sons and daughters who never ruled, lie nearby, in the Panteón de los Infantes. Many of the royal children are in a single circular tomb made of Carrara marble.

Another highlight is the monastery''s surprisingly lavish and colorful library, with ceiling paintings by Michelangelo disciple Pellegrino Tibaldi (1527-96). The imposing austerity of El Escorial''s facades makes this chromatic explosion especially powerful; try to save it for last. The library houses 50,000 rare manuscripts, codices, and ancient books, including the diary of St. Teresa of Ávila and the gold-lettered, illuminated Codex Aureus. Tapestries woven from cartoons by Goya, Rubens, and El Greco cover almost every inch of wall space in huge sections of the building, and extraordinary canvases by Velázquez, El Greco, David, Ribera, Tintoretto, Rubens, and other masters, collected from around the monastery, are now displayed in the Museos Nuevos (New Museums). In the basilica, don''t miss the fresco above the choir, depicting heaven, or Titian''s fresco The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence, which shows the saint being roasted alive. San Lorenzode El Escorial, El Escorial, Spain. PHONE: 91/890-5902 or 91/890-5905. COST: General admission EUR8; without Panteón, or after 4:30 EUR7; with guided tour EUR9. OPEN: Apr.-Sept., Tues.-Sun. 10-6; Oct.-Mar., Tues.-Sun. 10-5.

Ideal in summer is the outdoor terrace at Charolés (Floridablanca 24, El Escorial, Spain. PHONE: 91/890-5975), where imaginative seasonal dishes (especially grilled meats) round out a menu of northern-Spanish favorites. Just don''t expect picnic prices.

For a more contemporary and intimate (less than 10 tables) spot with a younger crowd, and a good selection of wines, grilled meats and salads, a cheaper and nearby option is the cozy bistro La Cañada Real (Florida Blanca 30, El Escorial, Spain. PHONE: 91/890-2703).

La Horizontal (Camino Horizontal s/n, El Escorial, Spain. PHONE: 91/890-3811), in a more family-oriented and rustic setting, surrounded by trees, has a big summer terrace and great views of the monastery (it''s high up on the way to Monte Abantos). The restaurant has a good selection of fish and rice dishes, but it''s their meats that draw a larger following. Because it''s a fair distance from the center, you must drive or get a cab at the taxi station on Calle Floridablanca.