It was to be a bulwark of the faith, a symbol of the greatness and power of the Spanish world empire. In a manner virtually unparalleled by any other building, the Escorial reflects the spirit of its age, the 16th century, and of its patron, Philip II. Philip II, driven by a blind faith in the Catholic Church and the burning desire to emulate his father, Charles V, had the Escorial built in a bleak, deserted landscape. From this remote vantage point he wanted to rule the world. The architecture is a perfect reflection of this spirit, externally an austere building almost entirely without ornamentation. It is, moreover, no coincidence that the building is reminiscent of a cloister; part of which is still used today as a monastery. And it was from this fortified cloister that Philip sought the solution to one of the most intractable problems of his time - the schism in the church. He resorted to the means of the Inquisition. The building, and its whole style, exudes the relentlessness with which Philip exerted his power.
B**K
learned next to nothing about Escorial
more about the history of spain at the time of Philip II. Very little about who, how, when and where the Escorial was built. Learned more about it reading Wikipedia. Very disappointed.
K**O
A bit heavy on the theology
There's some nice footage of the Escorial here, but I was hoping for more information on the architecture, the workers who built it, what happened to the monastery in subsequent centuries, how it became a tourist destination, etc. Instead I got a lot of theological history, which would turn off viewers who don't care about Roman Catholic beliefs. I would have appreciated more video of the building itself, and less propaganda.
B**R
Two Stars
more a history lesson than a tour of the building. disappointing.
D**O
I love it
Excellent DVD. Thank you very much, keep up the good work.
B**N
Disappointing tutorial
I have visited El Escorial twice, once with a tour group, and I was really looking forward to seeing an in depth view of the amazing structure and its contents. Instead, this is a didactic tutorial about Catholic beliefs, the reformation, and the Counter-Reformation efforts of Phillip II, while wandering to sites such as Toledo and Avila as well as others. Most of the shots of El Escorial were from above, and many of those taken inside were poorly lit. For me, it was too much cultural history and not nearly enough information about the building and its environs. The makers of this disappointing tutorial did not even show the magnificent library or the alabaster masoleums ("The Pantheon of the Princes"), nor did they focus on the art which is located at El Escorial. Instead, we are shown works such as El Greco's "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" which is located at the church of Santo Tome in Toledo, Spain. As a broad cultural history of the time (but with too little about the featured place itself), it is fine, but if you want to see El Escorial and its contents, look elsewhere.
Trustpilot
2 months ago
2 months ago
