Exploring España: Aranjuez

Some 42 km (26 miles) south of Madrid, on a confluence of the Tagus and Jarama rivers, lies the town of Aranjuez. Comprising a historic old quarter, royal palaces and huge riverside gardens, Aranjuez sounded rather intriguing...

The area has been inhabited for millennia, with the first known inhabitants being settlers from Paelaeolithic times, and later from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. In 218 BC, the Romans arrived and turned Aranjuez (then called Ara Jovis meaning Jupiter's Altar) into a strategic stronghold, an important frontier territory between the Moorish kingdom of Toledo and the kingdoms of the Crown of Castile.

In 1178, the area was acquired by the Order of Santiago for the purpose of protecting pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. They also hoped to drive the Moors out of Spain. When the Grand Master of the Order, Alfonso de Cárdenas, died in 1493, King Fernando II of Aragón (r. 1479-1516) and Queen Isabel I of Castile, aka the Catholic Monarchs, incorporated the Order of Santiago to the Spanish crown and converted Aranjuez into a Royal Site.

While it may have been a Royal Site, it wasn't until the second half of the 16th century that it entered a period of splendour. In 1561, echoing a plan drafted by his father, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (r. 1519-1556), King Felipe II of Spain (r. 1556-1598) ordered the construction of a new palace, which was to become the precursor of the present Royal Palace. This new palace was designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera, the same architects who designed El Escorial. Felipe II named Aranjuez a Real Sitio (Royal Site) and banned the building of towns and villages nearby. Aranjuez was to be for the exclusive use of the Monarch and his family.

The Royal Palace



View of the palace from Plaza de Parejas

Arched passage leading to the ticket office entrance

The Royal residence passed down through the Hapsburg line, until the death of Felipe II's great grandson, King Carlos II (r. 1665-1700), who died without an heir. In his will, he named his successor as Philippe, Duke of Anjou. However, Philippe, now King Felipe V (r. 1700-1746), brought the Hapsburg line to an end by founding the House of Bourbon, which has intermittently occupied the Spanish throne ever since. The current king, Juan Carlos I (r. 1975-present) is a descendent of the House of Bourbon. But I digress.

Construction on the palace continued in 1715 under King Felipe V. It was during this time that the structure that makes up the main body of the palace today was built.


The courtyard

Detail of the building from the courtyard

One of the many beautiful old doors



Carved lion over an archway

After Felipe's death, his son, Fernando VI (r. 1746-1759) took over the renovations. However, perhaps his greatest contribution to the area was the building of the town of Aranjuez, designed by the Italian architect Giacomo Bonavia in 1747. Prior to this time, only relatives of the Monarch had been allowed to live in the area.  Now free settlement was permitted and Aranjuez became a centre of industrial and commercial activity.

Included in the town plan was the Plaza de San Antonio, which was designed to link the newly-emerging town of Aranjuez with the Palace. Constructed in 1750, Plaza de San Antonio is a huge, attractive square with arched walkways on the east and west sides, and a circular church on the south side of the square. The church also has an arched walkway, which links Casa de Infantes on the eastern side of the square to Casa de Caballeros on the west. In the north of the square is the beautiful Mariblanca fountain.


Red-brick walkway that forms part of the Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua

The Casa de Infantes walkway in Plaza de San Antonio

Fuente de la Mariblanca

No Royal Site would be complete without a garden, and the extensive gardens in Aranjuez are some of the most important in the country. An initial design was made by the original architect, Juan Bautista de Toledo, but after his death in 1567, the gardens were modified by his successor, Juan de Herrera. The first garden, Jardín del Parterre, was created behind the main façade. Today this garden has paths lined with manicured hedges, bright flowers and ornate fountains.

Fuente de Ceres

Detail of Fuente de Ceres

Sunlight making the water display appear even more impressive

The largest garden, Jardín del Príncipe, was commissioned in 1750 by King Fernando VI (r. 1746-1759), although it didn't come into being until 1772 when his son and successor, King Carlos III (r. 1759-1788), made the plans a reality. Designed by Juan de Villanueva, the tranquil riverside garden is awash with fountains, statues and pavilions.

Stone urn blending in nicely with the trees



Trees marking the arrival of spring

Aranjuez thrived until the 19th century and the reign of Queen Isabel II (r. 1833-1868). In 1836, a City Council independent of Royal command was established and the Royal family's use of the Royal Site decreased. Following the deposition of Queen Isabel in 1868, with the exception of a few fragments of the Aranjuez estate, all Crown property passed to the state. A century later, Aranjuez had become little more than a rather populated satellite town of Madrid. However, the former Royal Site retained its integrity, and in 2001 the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Late afternoon sun at the Royal Palace