The Escorial: A Historical and Descriptive Account of the Spanish Royal Palace, Monastery and MausoleumCalvert, Albert Frederick
History
The Escorial: A Historical and Descriptive Account of the Spanish Royal Palace, Monastery and Mausoleum
Calvert, Albert Frederick
Escorial
In 1570 Philip married for the fourth time, his bride being Anne of
Austria. A year later the queen gave birth to Fernando, who died at
Madrid at the age of seven, and was buried in the Escorial. The body of
Don John of Austria, natural brother of Philip, was interred beneath the
altar of the church in the following year. In 1574 the remains of the
illustrious Emperor Charles were transferred to the vaults of the
Escorial with much ceremony, and at the same time several other royal
coffins were removed to the newly-made royal resting-place. During the
solemn service a terrific storm destroyed the dais which had been
erected for the ceremony, and the splendid trappings that covered it.
Besides the havoc of hurricanes, the building twice suffered serious
injury from fires. The first broke out when the work was almost
finished. The cause of the conflagration was a lightning stroke, and the
flames raged for several hours, creating consternation among the monks
and the other inmates of the edifice. When the fire was subdued, the
king had to grieve the destruction of the fine belfry and the loss of a
costly peal of bells. Although the fabric was much damaged, no lives
were lost, and several sacred relics were recovered uninjured.
The heavy cost of erecting the Escorial increased the amounts paid in
taxation, and among the people of Spain there was some discontent with
the expenditure. There was also disaffection upon one or two occasions
among the mechanics employed upon the building. The cause, or the
effect, of this insubordinate feeling was the rumour that Satan in the
guise of a hound with wings prowled about the corridors in the dark. A
friar hearing certain gruesome sounds during matins, went out to
investigate the cause of the disturbance, and discovered a stray dog
wandering in the building. The dog was promptly hanged, and his carcass
exposed on the exterior of the edifice;--proof positive that the
mysterious visits were at an end.
It is interesting to learn that a party of Japanese delegates came to
request an audience of Philip in the year 1582. The Jesuits had made
several converts in Japan, and it was proposed to ordain some of these
as priests. But the papal sanction had to be obtained, and the ruler of
Japan sent an embassy to the Pope. Before going to Rome, these
representatives came to Spain and paid reverence to Philip, who
entertained them cordially.
In 1586 the king was busy with preparations for the ceremony of
consecrating the church of the Escorial, which had been completed some
time previously. During the erection of the church, services were held
in a temporary structure, and in this building there was a celebration
of the mass before the procession entered the new church. Philip, the
prince, and several great clerics supported the canopy which was carried
in the solemn pageant. The temporary church, which stood in the hamlet,
was afterwards reconstructed, and placed at the service of the people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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