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How to visit the Royal Palace of Aranjuez and its Gardens

Aranjuez itself is already worth a visit thanks to its monuments, parks and all its charms, but there is one place above all that attracts thousands of visitors.

It is one of the residences of the Kings of Spain, the Palace of Aranjuez, a special place to make a getaway from Madrid. Here we are going to talk about what to see in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.

If you are in Madrid we recommend you to do this excursion to Aranjuez from Madrid.

The Construction of the Palace of Aranjuez

Aranjuez Palace - Royal Palace - FacadeThe Palace of Aranjuez began to be built under the reign of Felipe II in works that took several years.

It was the architect Juan de Herrera who completed the work based on the plans made by the architect who started the work, Juan Bautista de Toledo, repeating the history of the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial.

The current appearance of the Palace of Aranjuez is from the times of Carlos III who substantially remodeled it creating the Patio de Armas that we can see today.

In any case, as in all these buildings, the renovations have been constant and it also suffered a fire in 1748 that almost completely destroyed it.

What to see in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez

Aranjuez - Royal Palace - StairsWhen you arrive at this Royal Palace, the first thing that jumps out at you and that characterizes it are the white and red colors that adorn its façade.

In it are the statues of 3 kings: Felipe II, Felipe V and Fernando VIII and the main façade and the two lateral ones enclose an imposing Patio de Armas.

Through the porticoes of the main façade, under a superb balcony, you access its interior, finding first of all the great Main Staircase that takes you to the upper floors between busts and portraits of kings and with a spectacular lamp on the ceiling with 200 candlesticks.

Aranjuez - Royal Palace - InteriorFrom here we find different rooms and rooms, among which the Queen’s Room, the Music Antechamber or the Queen’s Chamber stand out.

Also noteworthy are the Queen’s Office, the Throne Room, the Porcelain Cabinet, the Queen’s Bedroom, the Reception Hall, the Gala Dining Room, the King’s Bedroom, the Cabinet of Mirrors, the King’s Office and the Hall of Chinese Paintings.

In all these rooms you will find a beautiful decoration and you can admire the furniture, paintings, vaults and all the objects found in them.

To complete the visit to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, you must go to the Royal Chapel, the work of the brilliant Sabatini and in which its High Altar, its vaults and altarpieces stand out.

The Gardens of the Parterre, the Island and the Prince

Aranjuez - Royal Palace - GardensThere is no royal palace in the world that does not have some spectacular gardens around it and the one in Aranjuez could not be less.

Actually there are 3 different gardens and in them there are fountains, ponds and statues to enjoy the tranquility and beauty that this place encloses.

The Jardin del Parterre was ordered to be built by Felipe V and is located between the palace and the Tagus River.

In it we must highlight the Hercules and Antaeus Fountain and the Fountain of the Nereids, as well as the area called the Garden of Statues where the busts of 14 Roman emperors and kings of Spain are found.

Aranjuez - Royal Palace - Prince GardensTo the north of the palace and enclosed by the Tagus River, is the Garden of the Island, which is the oldest of the three and consists of numerous fountains that you should not miss.

The Fountain of Hercules and Hydra, the Fountain of Apollo, the Fountain of Venus and the Fountain of Bacchus stand out, although there are many more that we invite you to discover.

And finally, we have the Jardín del Príncipe, which is the largest of all, with 150 hectares.

In it, in addition to the typical fountains of the gardens of Aranjuez, such as those of Narciso, Cisnes or Apolo, we find the Estanque de los Chinescos, a jetty and the Casa del Labrador, a mansion that is also the residence of the Spanish royal family.

You can find more information on the official page of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.

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