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Royal Library, Monastery of El Escorial
Royal Library, Monastery of El Escorial. Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Royal Library, Monastery of El Escorial. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial,_Madrid,_Espa%C3%B1a,_2025-12-30,_DD_10-12_HDR.jpg
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El Escorial library

San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain, First books arrive 1565

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Worth knowing

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: A decree of 12 January 1619 gave El Escorial a copy of every work printed in Spain and its realms.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, worth knowing: A decree of 12 January 1619 gave El Escorial a copy of every work printed in Spain and its realms.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0prv85f
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: A fire on 7 June 1671 ravaged much of the building. The main hall survived, but more than 5,000 codices were lost.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, worth knowing: A fire on 7 June 1671 ravaged much of the building. The main hall survived, but more than 5,000 codices were lost.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0j54uui
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: Ships under Luis Fajardo captured the library of the Sultan of Morocco, Muley Zaydan, off Agadir in 1612. About 4,000 Arabic volumes went to El Escorial in 1614.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, worth knowing: Ships under Luis Fajardo captured the library of the Sultan of Morocco, Muley Zaydan, off Agadir in 1612. About 4,000 Arabic volumes went to El Escorial in 1614.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1x7h6mi
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: The 1671 losses included about 2,500 Arabic codices, 2,000 Latin, 650 Greek, 90 French and 40 Hebrew.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
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    El Escorial library, worth knowing: The 1671 losses included about 2,500 Arabic codices, 2,000 Latin, 650 Greek, 90 French and 40 Hebrew.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0k8bn3a
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: The Cancionero de Baena is among the important codices that went missing in the early 1800s moves of the library. It is now in the national library in Paris.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, worth knowing: The Cancionero de Baena is among the important codices that went missing in the early 1800s moves of the library. It is now in the national library in Paris.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1nc2idh
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, worth knowing: The library's own account says the arabist José Antonio Conde, charged with moving its books to Madrid, saved them by hiding the crates in a convent under piles of printed books.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, worth knowing: The library's own account says the arabist José Antonio Conde, charged with moving its books to Madrid, saved them by hiding the crates in a convent under piles of printed books.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0ujpxk2
    Dispute#

Built

  • El Escorial library, built: first books arrive 1565

    wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
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    El Escorial library, built: first books arrive 1565
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_the_Monastery_of_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial
Evidence tier: wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1oi8jwu
    Dispute#

Architect

  • El Escorial library, architect: Juan de Herrera (architect of the monastery; designed the library furniture)

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, architect: Juan de Herrera (architect of the monastery; designed the library furniture)
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/sal-n-principal
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0os1hqs
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, architect: Juan de Herrera (bookcase system)

    wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    Cite
    El Escorial library, architect: Juan de Herrera (bookcase system)
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_the_Monastery_of_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial
Evidence tier: wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1tfmscw
    Dispute#

Size

  • El Escorial library, size: 54 x 9 x 10 m (Salón Principal)

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    El Escorial library, size: 54 x 9 x 10 m (Salón Principal)
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/sal-n-principal
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1ufh686
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, size: 54 x 9 x 10 m

    wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    Cite
    El Escorial library, size: 54 x 9 x 10 m
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_the_Monastery_of_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial
Evidence tier: wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1vjwmgf
    Dispute#

Volumes

  • El Escorial library, volumes: up to 40,000 volumes and 600 incunables (Patrimonio Nacional, current)

    primarypatrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, volumes: up to 40,000 volumes and 600 incunables (Patrimonio Nacional, current)
Source: https://www.patrimonionacional.es/en/coleccion/real-biblioteca-del-monasterio-de-el-escorial
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-0kf2vih
    Dispute#

  • El Escorial library, volumes: 1576 inventory 4,546 volumes; c.2007 about 1,300 Latin, 650 Greek, nearly 2,000 Arabic codices

    wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    Cite
    El Escorial library, volumes: 1576 inventory 4,546 volumes; c.2007 about 1,300 Latin, 650 Greek, nearly 2,000 Arabic codices
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_the_Monastery_of_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial
Evidence tier: wikipedia
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#f-1gnz7uk
    Dispute#

What happened here

  1. 1671El Escorial library, damaged, 1671: Fire on 7 June ravages much of the building and destroys over 5,000 codices.

    primaryrbme.patrimonionacional.es
    Cite
    El Escorial library, damaged, 1671: Fire on 7 June ravages much of the building and destroys over 5,000 codices.
Source: https://rbme.patrimonionacional.es/s/rbme/page/historia
Evidence tier: primary
Last checked: 2026-11-11
WorldLibs: https://worldlibs.pages.dev/libraries/escorial/#e-0ocn8jj
    Dispute#

Photographs

Main hall of the Royal Library, El Escorial
Main hall of the Royal Library, El Escorial. Jose Luis Filpo Cabana, CC BY 3.0
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Main hall of the Royal Library, El Escorial. Photo: Jose Luis Filpo Cabana, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Real_Biblioteca_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial._Sal%C3%B3n_principal.jpg
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Frescoed barrel vault of the Royal Library, El Escorial
Frescoed barrel vault of the Royal Library, El Escorial. Jl FilpoC, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Frescoed barrel vault of the Royal Library, El Escorial. Photo: Jl FilpoC, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sal%C3%B3n_principal_de_la_Real_Biblioteca_de_El_Escorial.jpg
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Armillary sphere in the Royal Library, El Escorial
Armillary sphere in the Royal Library, El Escorial. Jl FilpoC, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Armillary sphere in the Royal Library, El Escorial. Photo: Jl FilpoC, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esfera_armilar_de_Santucci,_Real_Biblioteca_del_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial.jpg
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The monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial with the basilica dome and the royal gardens
The monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial with the basilica dome and the royal gardens. Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial with the basilica dome and the royal gardens. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial,_Madrid,_Espa%C3%B1a,_2025-12-30,_DD_03.jpg
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The basilica front seen from the Patio de los Reyes, El Escorial
The basilica front seen from the Patio de los Reyes, El Escorial. Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The basilica front seen from the Patio de los Reyes, El Escorial. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Real_Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_de_El_Escorial,_Madrid,_Espa%C3%B1a,_2025-12-30,_DD_26.jpg
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El Escorial monastery seen from the east
El Escorial monastery seen from the east. IGOLEA, CC0
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El Escorial monastery seen from the east. Photo: IGOLEA, CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/), via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monasterio_de_San_Lorenzo_del_Escorial_desde_el_Este.jpg
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Books from this library

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