Target group
The work “Descripcion del Real monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial” was written in 1698 by Francisco de Los Santos. It was written in honor of the Spanish king and his royal monastery of San Lorenzo. The monastery was built according to plans by Juan Bautista de Toledo and under the long-term construction management of Juan de Herrera. At that time it was the second largest palace after the Vatican Palace and was therefore of great importance. The building complex includes a church, a monastery, the actual royal palace, a school and a library.
In the following, I will focus on the target group and at the same time examine the intentions of the author, since every work has a target group as well as an intention.
At the beginning of the work we find the table of contents and the subsequent sequence of the various chapters. In the «libro primero», a new topic is addressed in each chapter. However, it is always due to the monastery of San Lorenzo or the king. From the material and construction to the choice of location, everything can be found. Every construction process is justified and brought closer to the reader. However, comparisons with other structures are barely never made. Often the author gets lost in details and offers the reader image material with precise representations. However, the image material is not a blueprint and therefore does not reveal everything, but only the most important things for the reader. Great importance is given to the size specifications, as each plan is provided with the total length of the structure. This could of course also have been used as a symbol of power and inspiration for future buildings.
In addition, the «libro segundo» reports on the pantheon in which the king was buried. Everything seems as if the work is a biography of the king. This biography is symbolized with his building, which he had realized during his lifetime. I would call the people the target group for the work, but the focus has been clearly placed on the architects. There is extensive information about the structure of the monastery and its power. Details and precise designs are also part of the work. And last but not least, it has to be said that this building deserves a literary work in its honor.
The three keywords are the following: addressing, structure, importance