A presentation on the Escorial, palace of Philip II, whose severe style I argue was a backlash against the Islamic inspired style prevalent in Spain at the start of his rein.

1. The Escorial
An Artifact of Cultural Adaptation to a Dangerous World
Alex Watkins
Pratt Institute

2. Towards a Moral Architecture
• Philip II believed that Architecture reflected morality
• From Alberti Philip took the “view of buildings as an expression of society,
and his serious moral purpose.”
• From Augustine, he takes the idea of reason and ratio create the beauty of
architecture because they mirror divine wisdom.

3. Escorial As Moral
Architecture
• These theories on architecture
become form in the Escorial.
• Clear Ratios and Order reflect
divine wisdom
• An expression of society as
Philip would like it to be.

4. Philip II
• Self Styled defender of
Catholicism
• Embodied by his quarter’s
location in the Escorial, view
from his bed to the altar.
• His estillo desornamentado has
been seen as an extension of
his Counter-Reformation
ideology and orthodoxy.
• But Protestants were not the
only threat, nor even the
biggest.

5. The Enemies of Spain Intwined

6. The Enemies of Spain Intwined

7. The Enemies of Spain Intwined

8. The Enemies of Spain Intwined

9. The Enemies of Spain Intwined
Moriscos

10. The Enemies of Spain Intwined
Moriscos

11. The Enemies of Spain Intwined
Moriscos

12. Ottoman Advancement

13. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar

14. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar

15. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar
• Had defeated Spain
and gained control of
the Eastern
Mediterranean

16. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar
• Had defeated Spain
and gained control of
the Eastern
Mediterranean

17. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar
• Had defeated Spain
and gained control of
the Eastern
Mediterranean
• Threatening the
Austrian Habsburgs,
pushed all the way to
Vienna

18. Ottoman Advancement
• Advancing across
Northern Africa towards
Gibraltar
• Had defeated Spain
and gained control of
the Eastern
Mediterranean
• Threatening the
Austrian Habsburgs,
pushed all the way to
Vienna

19. The Escorial
Michelangelo, exterior of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome

20. “low relief, recurrent patterns, indifference to balance and
Alcazar, Seville accent ... repudiation of the Gothic principle of supremacy
Covarrubias, Hospital of Santa Cruz, Toledo and subordination”