Believe it or not, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial still holds a few secrets after more than four centuries of history. This is evidenced by the recent opening of a space that, until now, had been closed to visitors: the Patio de los Evangelistas.
It is a cross-shaped garden with the Temple of the Evangelists at its center, surrounded by Renaissance-style flowerbeds. This site has been brought back to life thanks to extensive and exhaustive research aimed at restoring its original appearance and achieving the purpose for which it was conceived: “an evocation of paradise on earth, ” in the words of National Heritage, as designed in 1586 by Juan de Herrera.
19 August 2026 10:00 + more dates
A 16th-century Renaissance garden adapted to 21st-century sustainability
The reconstruction of the space, which took about twelve months, involved an investment of 1.7 million (from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan funded by Next Generation funds). The starting point was preliminary research that led the teams to the 1865 plan by Salcedo de las Heras, the Palace’s General Archive itself, and studies on hydraulic systems.
During the process, the granite paving was restored, all the woodwork in the lower cloister was refurbished, the four ponds were rehabilitated , and sixteen flowerbeds were cultivated through the reintroduction of plant species, a new sustainable irrigation system, and a glass windbreak.
This final element aims to protect and improve the conservation of Pellegrino Tibaldi’s murals (in addition to allowing visitors to explore the space every day of the year). The galleries surrounding the Courtyard of the Evangelists are lavishly decorated with frescoes (54 in total, the work of Pellegrino Tibaldi and his workshop).