Project

The Escorial was commissioned by Philip II in the late 16th century and expanded by Charles IV of Spain as the royal monastery of the kings of Spain. The High Altar of the basilica, consecrated in 1599, is adorned with jasper, colored marble, and paintings by the Roman artists Pellegrino Tibaldi and Federico Zuccari. (...)

The Escorial was commissioned by Philip II in the late 16th century and expanded by Charles IV of Spain as the royal monastery of the kings of Spain. The High Altar of the basilica, consecrated in 1599, is adorned with jasper, colored marble, and paintings by the Roman artists Pellegrino Tibaldi and Federico Zuccari. The altar’s 20 monumental sculptures depict saints and were executed by Leone and Pompeo Leoni and their studio, brought to Spain to work for the Spanish Crown during the counter-reformation.