The is an eighteenth-century building located in

San Lorenzo de El Escorial San Lorenzo de El Escorial, also known as El Escorial de Arriba, is a town and municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain, located to the northwest of the region in the southeastern side of the Sierra de Guadarrama, at the foot of Moun ...

, Spain. It was designed by the neoclassical architect Juan de Villanueva for the private use of the heir to the Spanish throne Charles, Prince of Asturias, and his wife Maria Luisa. It was constructed in the 1770s and extended in the 1780s. The word ''casita'' is the diminutive of the Spanish word for "house". The building was designed without bedrooms, as its owners slept in the palace which had been built two centuries earlier for Philip II. Such buildings gave their royal occupants the opportunity to escape some of the formalities of court life. The

Petit Trianon The Petit Trianon (; French for 'small Trianon') is a Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 ...

at Versailles offers a French example of the phenomenon.

Setting

The building is set in a formal garden. The garden is in turn set in a walled park. The garden, which is on several levels, is delineated by box hedges in 18th century style. It also features some exotic conifers, such as ''

Sequoiadendron giganteum ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood, Sierra redwood or Wellingtonia) is a species of coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the la ...

'', a species introduced to Europe in the 19th century, and '' Abies nordmanniana'' (see note).

Interior

The interior is decorated in neoclassical style with some Pompeian influence. There is a ''Sala de Porcelana'' on the upper floor. This room features jasperware plaques in neoclassical style. Reminiscent of the work of the English

Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English China (material), fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons L ...

company, the plaques were made in Madrid in the 1790s by the Real Fábrica del Buen Retiro.

Conservation and access

The building is protected as part of a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. Under Spanish law it was declared ''

Bien de Interés Cultural (, , , ) is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense). It includes not only mater ...

'' in 1992. Guided tours of the ground floor are offered by the Spanish heritage organisation Patrimonio Nacional, and tickets can be obtained at the property.

References

Notes

:1. The conifers are associated with the national forestry school which was moved to El Escorial in the late 19th century (Real Orden de Regencia. 25.10.1869).

External links

Casita del Principe
– San Lorenzo de El Escorial tourism website
Casita del Príncipe
– Patrimonio Nacional website
Casita del Príncipe
– San Lorenzo de El Escorial tourism website
Secuoya gigante en el jardín de Casita del Principe en Parque del Monasterio
– information regarding remarkable trees {{DEFAULTSORT:Casita del Principe (El Escorial) Buildings and structures in the Community of Madrid Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Community of Madrid Gardens in Spain Juan de Villanueva buildings Houses completed in 1775 Neoclassical architecture in the Community of Madrid Royal residences in Spain