A beautiful historical monastery that is one of the most important architectural landmarks of the Spanish Renaissance is set to undergo a £5million revamp. El Escorial, officially known as San Lorenzo de El Escorial, is a monumental complex located near Madrid, Spain. It serves as a royal palace, monastery, museum and historical site. 

Nearly 40 years after being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is set to undergo a major transformation.

With £5million in EU funding, visitors will soon gain access to previously hidden parts of Philip II’s monumental creation.

The two-year project, spanning 33,327 square metres, aims to reconnect visitors with this emblem of Spain’s Golden Age.

Among the highlights, a monastic patio will be opened to the public, along with several paintings that were once exclusively viewed by royalty, reports The Olive Press. 

Located about 35 miles from Madrid, this religious complex realised Philip II’s vision of constructing a monastery in a “desert.”

Head of buildings and environment, Luis Perez de Prada said: “It was an incredible feat of work and it shows humanity’s ability to create something in the middle of nowhere.”

“It’s a reopening with a much deeper understanding of what one of Spain’s most important monuments is about architecturally and artistically, and of all the symbolism implicit in this place.”

One of the biggest changes is that visitors will soon enter through the imposing Patio of Kings to get a ‘much greater understanding of the monastery’s architecture.’ 

“We really want people to understand what they’re visiting when they come to a place like this; it’s not just about saying: ‘Yeah, I’ve done the tour and I can say I’ve visited El Escorial.’ You need to understand how it was created and how it’s been modified,” said Prada. 

At present, over 450,000 tourists visit the site each year, but according to Spain’s national heritage institution, Patrimonio Nacional, it could be better appreciated.