Editing Monastery of Yuste (section)

==History==
In 1556 [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]], retired to the Monastery of Yuste, near Cuacos de Yuste, after having abdicated the Spanish crown in favour of his son [[Philip II of Spain]] and the crown of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in favour of his brother [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]]. He intended to devote the rest of his life to prayer in this remote and obscure monastery.  Nonetheless, the monastery had to be expanded that year to make room for the emperor and the 50 or 60 members of his entourage.

From time to time well-known people, including his illegitimate son [[John of Austria|Don Juan de Austria]] and his heir [[Philip II of Spain]], came to visit the retired emperor. A fictitious visit by [[Carlos, Prince of Asturias]], and other characters provides the moonlit setting for Act V of the original version of [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s opera ''[[Don Carlos]]'', and Yuste is also the setting for both scenes of Act II of that long and celebrated opera. Charles died there on September 21, 1558. He was buried in the monastery church, though his remains were later transferred to the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo del [[Escorial]].

In 1809, during the [[Peninsular War]], the monastery was burnt by the French army.<ref>{{cite web | title=Monasterio de Yuste | website=Viajes, Turismo y Gastronomía | date=2019-12-28 | url=https://www.revistaiberica.com/monasterio-de-yuste/ | language=es | access-date=2022-10-13}}</ref>  It was also affected by the [[Ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal]]. The site was left in ruins until 1949, when the Spanish government restored it at the behest of [[Francisco Franco]]. The furniture of the choir (which was commissioned at the end of the 15th century) was retrieved from churches where it had been relocated.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barrena |date=2025 |title=El Monasterio cacereño de Yuste enseña ya al público su sillería del coro |url=https://elpais.com/espana/2025-04-26/el-monasterio-cacereno-de-yuste-ensena-ya-al-publico-su-silleria-del-coro.html}}</ref>