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La Granjilla de La Fresneda (also known as La Fresneda y La Granjilla) was the prívate Royal Park of both, Philip II and the Hieronymite monks in the surroundings of Monasterio del Escorial.
The architectural monumental complex resembles the conceptual structure of : a Church (Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de La Fresneda), a Convento (La Casa de los Frailes), a Library (La Casa de las Trazas), a tower (la Torre de Avendaño) and a Palace (La Casa de S. M Felipe II). It was built between 1561 and 1569.
La Granjilla is located at 2 km. of the Town Council of El Escorial, Madrid and 4 km of the town council of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Monasterio del Escorial through road M505. This natural, cultural, and historical treasure of the Spanish Renaissance and the Spanish Golden Age remains almost unknown, both to the public and to the techno-scientific community.
To symbolize the union and centralization of political power of the Hispanic Monarchy, in 1561 Philip II chose, almost simultaneously: Madrid as the capital del Reino de España; and the hillside of Abantos, a mount in Sierra de Guadarrama, to construct a Hieronymite Monastery, el Monasterio de San Lorenzo El Real, also known as Monasterio del Escorial, or El Escorial: the monastery receives its name from the municipality of El Escorial.
Furthermore, and almost at the same time, the king commissioned Juan Bautista de Toledo to build a Royal Park at La Fresneda, then a village, at the foothills of Abantos and Las Machotas, near the small village of El Escorial (equidistant of both, el Monasterio and La Granjilla).
La Granjilla was designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo as homologous, but conceptually opposed, to the Monastery of El Escorial. Other collaborators in the project were Gaspar de Vega, Juan de Herrera, Pedro de Tolosa, fray Marcos de Cardona and Petre Janson.
Located at the foothills of Sierra de Guadarrama, La Granjilla de La Fresneda is essential to understand El Escorial and the complex personality of Philip II. It is an impressive park with a multifunctional architectural complex; ornamental, ethnobotanical and spagyric gardens (Plant Alchemy); artificial ponds, dams and waterways; and a reserve for large animals hunting (a Royal Hunting Lodge). The different sections of the Royal Park are separated by beautiful dry stone Royal Walls.
Fray Marcos de Cardona, a Hieronyimite monk, was the designer and gardener of the Royal Gardens. Dutch hydraulic expert, Petre Janson, oversaw the creation of the five Royal Lakes. Both the monk and pond expert were working under the directions of Philip II and Juan Bautista de Toledo.
The highest and largest pond receives water from the Aulencia river. This pond provides water to the other three artificial lakes and to the whole complex through a system of dams, waterways and conduits -unique and inspired hydraulic archeology from the Spanish Renaissance.
The Royal Gardens in La Granjilla de La Fresneda and the Gardens of El Escorial (La Huerta del Monasterio) are very peculiar and unique Spanish Renaissance Royal Gardens; both of then were hybrids of ornamental gardens, market gardens, ethnobotanical gardens and spagyiric gardens. Its relevance is obvious in the context of previous Historical Royal Gardens and Royal Cottages: Gardens of Chateau de Chambord of Francis I.
La Granjilla de La Fresneda won the International Carlo Scarpa Award from the Benetton Foundation, for the management and conservation of Historical Gardens.
La Casa de Cammpo de Madrid, La Granjilla de La Fresndeda de El Escorial and El Canal de El Escorial (built to supply water to the Monastery) and La Cacera de La Granjilla de La Fresneda (the aqueduct to feed de ponds) , were designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera. These civil engineering works were part of an extensive network of hydraulic, environmental and infrastructural transformations stretching out from Madrid to the slopes of Abantos and mountain-tops of Santa María de la Alameda, the starting point for El Canal de El Escorial, the catchment area of the Alberche river.
Time Line for La Granjilla de La Fresneda de El Escorial
| Cultural/Natural/Symbolic Good | Started | Finished | Authors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa de Felipe II | 1563 | 1569 | Gaspar de Vega, Juan Bautista de Toledo and Pedro de Tolosa |
| Jardines Reales | 1563 | 1566 | Fray Marcos de Cardona |
| Casa de lod Frailes (place where the monks rest of his monastic life in El Escorial) | 1569 | Gaspar de Vega, Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera | |
| Estanques | 1566 | Petre Janson, Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera | |
| Torre de Avedaño | End of XV Century | 1569 | Modified by Gaspar de Vega and Pedro de Tolosa |
| Iglesia de San Juan Bautista (altar-piece from School of Juan de Borgoña) | End of XV Century | Modified by Juan de Herrera | |
| Peña de Felipe II (Balcony for the Cultural landscape of El Escorial, Monastery and Site) | Geological Monument (impressive granite boulder) | ||
| Pared Real de La Granjilla (Recinto de La Granjilla) | Urban Archeology by Toledo and Herrera | ||
| Paredes Reales (Cuarteles de La Granjilla) | Urban Archeology by Toledo and Herrera | ||
| Puerta de la Calle Olmedada, Camino Real between La Granjilla and El Escorial | Urban Archeology by Juan Bautista de Toledo | ||
| Fuente de la Casa de Felipe II | 1563 | 1569 | Juan Bautista de Toledo |
Google Maps
Google Video
- El Escorial, Monastery and Site
- La Granjilla de La Fresneda and Monasterio de El Escorial.
- Abantos. viewing point of El Escorial
- Unsustainability
YouTube
Google Photo Gallery
External Links
See also
- El Escorial, Madrid
- Monasterio de El Escorial
- San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid
- Valle de los Caídos
- Golden Age
- Renaissance
- Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Bibliography
- La Fresneda. Un lugar de Felipe II en el entorno de El Escorial, Luis Cervera Vera - ISBN 84-89796-67-X. This book is published by Fundación Benetton as part of the Carlo Scarpa Award, represent an updated account of current knowledge about La Granjilla. Nevertheless the research is not finished.
- La Granjilla, Embalses y Canales by Rosario Aguadero Fernández, Juan Ignacio Contreras Garrido, José Mansilla Ramos and Jesús Sánchez Pulpí - ETS de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
- El Conjunto Monacal y Cortesano de La Fresneda en El Escorial, Luis Cervera Vera - Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.
- Arquitectura y Desarrollo Urbano, Tomo V, El Escorial y San Lorenzo de El Escorial - Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid, Colegio de Arquitectos de Madrid y Fundación Caja Madrid, ISBN 84-451-1513--8.
- Jardín y Naturaleza en el Reinado de Felipe II - Carmen Añón Feliu y José Luis Sancho
- La Octava Maravilla del Mundo, Estudio sobre El Escorial de Felipe II - Agustín Bustamante García, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, ISBN 84-381-0230-I.
- Canal de El Escorial, Sistema de Abastecimiento de Agua al Monasterio de El Escorial, Francisco J Martín Carrasco, Gabriel I Cuena López, J Pedro Mora Fernández t Rodrigo Vázquez Orellana - ETS de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
- El Molino Caído de El Escorial, Carlos Nera Alvear, Juan C López Verdejo, Francisco J Sánchez Caro, José M Pérez Pozuelo - ETS de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
- Caminos de Madrid a El Escorial en la Época de Felipe II y Puntos Singulares, Margarita Torres Rodríguez, Fernando Díez Rubio - ETS de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
- Arqueología Industrial y Preindustrial en El Escorial, Antonio Pinel Mañas, M Concepción Martín Robles - ETS de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.