Escurial

a royal palace of Spain, distant from Madrid about 24 miles, N. W. on the acclivity of the Sierra Guadarrama, the range of mountains which divides New from Old Castile. The Escurial is not a mere palace, but a memorial building, and combines a monastery, a church, and a mausoleum with a royal palace. » Everything about the Escurial — situation, plan, and purposes— bears the stamp of the singular and unpractical mind of its originator, Philip II. Not the least remarkable of its peculiarities is its site.