HERRERA, Juan de

El Escorial, a village in the Guadarrama mountains, 42 km northwest of Madrid, is the site of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a monastery originally Hieronymite but occupied since 1885 by Augustinians.

Philip II wanted a monastery at El Escorial as a place where all Spanish sovereigns beginning with the emperor Charles V could be buried; all of them have been interred there, with the exception of Philip V, Ferdinand VI, and Alfonso XIII. One of the largest religious establishments in the world (about 206 by 161 metres), El Escorial was begun in 1563 by Juan Bautista de Toledo, a Renaissance Spanish architect who had worked earlier in Italy, and was completed after his death in 1567 by Juan de Herrera.

Toledo is responsible for the general plan of El Escorial monastery, consisting of a great rectangle of three parts, the centre being occupied by the church. On the south are five cloisters in which are included the royal palace and offices; on the north are the living quarters of the monks. Herrera made extensive revisions in the designs, prepared new plans for the church (1572), and brought the whole building to completion in 1584. The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. On the exterior the gigantic scale of the monastery and the severe gray granite walls are forbidding. There Herrera established his fame and the Herreran style, which was to prevail in Spain for half a century.

View the ground plan of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

The construction of the monastery and palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ushered in a new architectural era in Spain. The choice of a Roman style based on the Vitruvian orders represented a clear rejection of the Late Gothic and the so-called “plateresque style” that had prevailed in Spain until well into the sixteenth century.

The rational ground plan, the classically structured fa�ade which avoided the smallest superfluous detail, the ceremonial rigor and monumental proportions of the interior, and finally the use of the characteristic gray granite from the local area were to have an impact on court architecture in Spain until the early nineteenth century; the building was still used as a model under the dictatorship of Franco.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the central building.

The construction of the monastery and palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ushered in a new architectural era in Spain. The choice of a Roman style based on the Vitruvian orders represented a clear rejection of the Late Gothic and the so-called “plateresque style” that had prevailed in Spain until well into the sixteenth century.

The rational ground plan, the classically structured fa�ade which avoided the smallest superfluous detail, the ceremonial rigor and monumental proportions of the interior, and finally the use of the characteristic gray granite from the local area were to have an impact on court architecture in Spain until the early nineteenth century; the building was still used as a model under the dictatorship of Franco.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the central building.

View the ground plan of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

Herrera’s architectural apprenticeship probably began in 1563, when the King appointed him assistant to his architect Juan Bautista de Toledo. It was in this capacity that Herrera became involved with the plans for the monastery of San Lorenzo el Real del Escorial (1563-84), although he could have done very little actual designing before de Toledo’s death in 1567. While Juan Bautista de Toledo should be credited with the general plan and overall conception of the complex, by 1570 Herrera had emerged as an independent designer, a favourite of the King and the architect in charge of designing the Escorial. He redesigned the main staircase as an open-well imperial stair in 1573 and prepared the working drawings of the basilica in 1574-75, using the earlier project of Juan Bautista de Toledo and that drawn up in 1562 by Francesco Paciotto. The fa�ades of the basilica and the library on the Patio de los Reyes are considered to be Herrera’s work.

The foundations of the basilica church were laid (1569-74). Two models were constructed in 1570 by Diego de Alc�ntara (1538-1587) and in 1573-74 by Mart�n de Aciaga. The first stone of the church was laid in 1574; it was completed in 1584 and consecrated on 30 August 1586.

The Basilica, with its superimposed orders and temple front, reflects the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture, particularly Palladio.

The photo shows the fa�ade of the Basilica.

Herrera’s architectural apprenticeship probably began in 1563, when the King appointed him assistant to his architect Juan Bautista de Toledo. It was in this capacity that Herrera became involved with the plans for the monastery of San Lorenzo el Real del Escorial (1563-84), although he could have done very little actual designing before de Toledo’s death in 1567. While Juan Bautista de Toledo should be credited with the general plan and overall conception of the complex, by 1570 Herrera had emerged as an independent designer, a favourite of the King and the architect in charge of designing the Escorial. He redesigned the main staircase as an open-well imperial stair in 1573 and prepared the working drawings of the basilica in 1574-75, using the earlier project of Juan Bautista de Toledo and that drawn up in 1562 by Francesco Paciotto. The fa�ades of the basilica and the library on the Patio de los Reyes are considered to be Herrera’s work.

The foundations of the basilica church were laid (1569-74). Two models were constructed in 1570 by Diego de Alc�ntara (1538-1587) and in 1573-74 by Mart�n de Aciaga. The first stone of the church was laid in 1574; it was completed in 1584 and consecrated on 30 August 1586.

The Basilica, with its superimposed orders and temple front, reflects the influence of Italian Renaissance architecture, particularly Palladio.

The photo shows the fa�ade of the Basilica.

A rich and important Castilian town, Valladolid played a key role in the emergence of Baroque architecture in the Spanish empire. In 1561, a fire destroyed most of its centre, including the cathedral. Juan de Herrera, the court architect, received the commission for the reconstruction of the cathedral in 1580. Over the late Gothic foundations, Herrera erected a structure which was significant not only because of its classicism, but also because of the way in which the internal space was organized.

Because the construction of Valladolid Cathedral continued until late in the seventeenth century, the style, derived from El Escorial, became the standard for many other religious buildings throughout the Spanish empire.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the cathedral.

A rich and important Castilian town, Valladolid played a key role in the emergence of Baroque architecture in the Spanish empire. In 1561, a fire destroyed most of its centre, including the cathedral. Juan de Herrera, the court architect, received the commission for the reconstruction of the cathedral in 1580. Over the late Gothic foundations, Herrera erected a structure which was significant not only because of its classicism, but also because of the way in which the internal space was organized.

Because the construction of Valladolid Cathedral continued until late in the seventeenth century, the style, derived from El Escorial, became the standard for many other religious buildings throughout the Spanish empire.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the cathedral.

The massive walls of the interior, relieved only by Doric pilasters with no concession to decorative richness, produced a monument that was austere beyond anything the Italian Renaissance ever envisaged. The capital, moulding and base type of Herrera’s orders, derived from canonical modern examples, were uniform to the point of monotony.

A rich and important Castilian town, Valladolid played a key role in the emergence of Baroque architecture in the Spanish empire. In 1561, a fire destroyed most of its centre, including the cathedral. Juan de Herrera, the court architect, received the commission for the reconstruction of the cathedral in 1580. Over the late Gothic foundations, Herrera erected a structure which was significant not only because of its classicism, but also because of the way in which the internal space was organized.

This engraving from Juan de Herrera’s Sumario was executed by Pierre Peret (1555-c. 1625).

View the ground plan of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.