Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, part of the

Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central Plateau (''Meseta Central''). Its capital and largest munic ...

. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...

, a bit upstream the discharge of the

Jarama Jarama () is a river in central Spain. It flows north to south, and passes east of Madrid where the El Atazar Dam is built on a tributary, the Lozoya River. It flows into the river Tagus in Aranjuez. The Manzanares is a tributary of the Jaram ...

. , the municipality has a registered population of 59,607. Aranjuez became one of the Royal Estates of the

Crown of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

in 1560, during the reign of Philip II. Until 1752, only the royalty and nobility were allowed to dwell in the town. The Cultural Landscape of Aranjuez was declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

by UNESCO in 2001.

Name

There are several theories about the origin of the name. The most widely accepted one states that it comes from the Basque language, deriving from ''arantza'' ("

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

" in English). Another theory, attributed to Padre

Martín Sarmiento Martín Sarmiento or Martiño Sarmiento, also Father Sarmiento (born Pedro José García Balboa; 9 March 1695 in Villafranca del Bierzo, El Bierzo – 7 December 1772 in Madrid) was a Spanish scholar, writer and Benedictine monk, illustrious repres ...

, a Benedictine scholar who lived about a century after the founder of Aranjuez,

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

, claims the origin to be from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

''Ara Jovis'' or ''Ara Iovia'', which means the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...

of the Roman god

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...

. However the pre-Roman derivation is generally preferred.

History

Early history

Alfonso VI Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

took control of the territory near the Tagus, including Aranjuez, following the 1085 conquest of the

Taifa of Toledo The Taifa of Toledo () was an islamic polity ('' taifa'') located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula in the high middle ages. It was ruled by the Dhulnunids, a Hawwara Berber clan. It emerged after 1018 upon the fracturing of the Caliphate of ...

. During the 12th century, Aranjuez (then known as ''Aranz'', ''Aranzuel'', ''Aranzuegue'' or ''Almuzundica'') was a small hamlet under the influence of the castle of Oreja. Following the 1108 defeat of Castilian and Leonese forces by the Almoravids at Uclés, the area fell under Muslim control. ''Aurelia'' (Oreja) was retaken by Alfonso VII, the Emperor after the 1194 surrender of the besieged castle.

Alfonso VIII Alfonso VIII (11 November 11555 October 1214), called the Noble (''El Noble'') or the one of Las Navas (''el de las Navas''), was King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. After having suffered a great defeat with his own army at ...

donated Oreja and its dependent hamlets in 1171 to the

Order of Santiago The Order of Santiago (; es, Orden de Santiago ), is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the Patron Saint of Spain, "Santiago" (St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgri ...

and its Grand Master Pedro Fernández. Aranjuez was definitively secured in 1178. Aranjuez was chosen as seat of the ''Mesa Maestral'' ("Master's Table") of the Order of Santiago in 1272. The link between Aranjuez and the Crown dates from 1493, when the

Catholic Monarchs The Catholic Monarchs were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of Spain. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being bot ...

became administrators of the military orders.

Adrian VI Pope Adrian VI ( la, Hadrianus VI; it, Adriano VI; nl, Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 January 1522 until his d ...

confirmed

Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...

in the everlasting dignity as Grand Master of the Order in 1523. The dehesa of Aranjuez subsequently became a Crown property.

Development as Royal Site

Philip II declared the place a Royal Site in 1560. In the second half of the 16th century, the

royal palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- ...

was constructed and the name of the enlarged settlement was changed from ''Alpajes'' to ''Aranjuez''. The site was initially designed by

Juan Bautista de Toledo Juan Bautista de Toledo (c. 1515 – 19 May 1567) was a Spanish architect. He was educated in Italy, in the Italian High Renaissance. As many Italian renaissance architects, he had experience in both architecture and military and civil public wo ...

and completed by

Juan de Herrera Juan de Herrera (1530 – 15 January 1597) was a Spanish architect, mathematician and geometrician. One of the most outstanding Spanish architects in the 16th century, Herrera represents the peak of the Renaissance in Spain. His sober style rea ...

. Aranjuez was extensively redesigned in the 18th century by Santiago Bonavía. In 1752, during the reign of

Ferdinand VI , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavici ...

Aranjuez, previously

reserved Reserved is a Polish apparel retailer headquartered in Gdańsk, Pomerania, Poland. It was founded in 1999 and remains the largest company of the LPP group, which has more than 1,700 retail stores located in over 20 countries and also owns such ...

for the royal family, nobles of the royal court and palace servants started to be opened providing overnight accommodation for visitors, who had previously been obliged to lodge in nearby settlements such as Ocaña. The

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

in the

River which is alongside to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez was constructed in 1753 to power a

water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or buckets ...

for milling

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ''bre ...

. Since the mill was visible from the palace, it was architecturally attractive and sometimes used as the residence of the town governor. King Carlos III built the so-called Long Bridge (about 300m long) over the

in 1761. In 1763 Charles III, a keen

physiocrat Physiocracy (; from the Greek for "government of nature") is an economic theory developed by a group of 18th-century Age of Enlightenment French economists who believed that the wealth of nations derived solely from the value of "land agricult ...

ordered the construction of Real Cortijo de San Isidro, a

model farm A demonstration farm, or model farm, is a farm which is used primarily to research or demonstrate various agricultural techniques, with any economic gains being an added bonus. Demonstration farms are often owned and operated by educational instit ...

which was abandoned by his successor (his second son,

Charles IV of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles III of Spain , mother = Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place ...

) and later commercialized. Two years later the king ordered the construction of the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Convent of San Pascual The Convento de San Pascual is a royal monastery in Aranjuez, in the Community of Madrid, Spain, founded by King Charles III of Spain as a Franciscan monastery and built from 1765 to 1770. Under the reign of Isabel II of Spain, it was assigned t ...

, later occupied by the

Conceptionists , image = OrdoIC.jpg , size = 150px , abbreviation = OIC , nickname = Conceptionists , motto = , formation = , founder = Saint Beatrice of Silva) , founding_locatio ...

. French architect Jaime Marquet began construction of the theatre Coliseum Carlos III in 1767. Caída y prisión del Príncipe de la Paz

An uprising, the so-called

Mutiny of Aranjuez The Tumult of Aranjuez ( es, link=no, Motín de Aranjuez) was an uprising led against King Charles IV that took place in the town of Aranjuez, Spain, on 17–19 March 1808. The event, which is celebrated annually in the first week of September ...

, took place on 17 March 1808 when the royal family and the government were staying at Aranjuez while on their way south, anticipating a French invasion from the north. Soldiers, peasants and members of the general public assaulted Godoy's quarters and captured him. The mutineers made King Charles dismiss Godoy, and two days later the court forced the King himself to abdicate in favor of his son and rival, who became Ferdinand VII.

Late modern history

Railway transport arrived to Aranjuez on 9 February 1851, with the opening of the

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

–Aranjuez line, the second in the Iberian Peninsula after

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

–

Mataró Mataró () is the capital and largest town of the ''comarca'' of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and ...

(not the second in Spain, as the

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

–

Güines Güines is a municipality and town in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba. It is located southeast of Havana, next to the Mayabeque River. It is the most populated town, but not the capital, of its province. History The city was founded in 1737 by t ...

line had been opened in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

already in 1837). Aranjuez was granted the title of town (''villa'') in 1899. In the context of the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War, Aranjuez remained under

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

control until the end of the conflict, becoming the headquarters of the of the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army ( es, Ejército de la República Española) was the main branch of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la Rep� ...

. Important battles of the war such as the Battle of Seseña and the

Battle of Jarama The Battle of Jarama (6–27 February 1937) was an attempt by General Francisco Franco's Nationalists to dislodge the Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War. Elite Spanish Legionnaires and ...

took place not far from Aranjuez. Following the seizure by the Rebel faction, a

Francoist Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...

concentration camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

was active in Aranjuez in 1939.

Main sites

The city was declared Conjunto Histórico-Artístico ("Historic Artistic Junction") in 1983. In 2001

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

listed the Aranjuez

Cultural landscape Cultural landscape is a term used in the fields of geography, ecology, and heritage studies, to describe a symbiosis of human activity and environment. As defined by the World Heritage Committee, it is the "cultural properties hatrepresent the ...

as a

Mariblanca

This was the first extension beyond the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- ...

, along the south bank of the river

(Local spelling ''Tajo''). The royal Church of San Antonio which was built by

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

for both public and

ceremonial A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular ...

royal use, stands at the southern end of Plaza San Antonio popularly known as '' Mariblanca'', (possibly because it is a 'sea' of white sand or ''mar de arena blanca'' or else an allusion to the female statue of the fountain at the far end, which is the

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

of sculptor Juan Reyna in 1762).

Plaza de Toros

A bullring, one of the earliest in Spain, the original was built in 1760 by order of King Charles IV, the refurbished structure was opened by his wife,

Maria Luisa of Parma Maria Luisa of Parma (Luisa Maria Teresa Anna; 9 December 1751 – 2 January 1819) was, by marriage to King Charles IV of Spain, Queen of Spain from 1788 to 1808 leading up to the Peninsular War. Her relationship with Manuel Godoy and influence ...

, on 14 May 1797. It had a capacity of 9000 spectators at a time when the population, according to the then prime minister, was only 4226. There are twelve public entrances which lead to three circular galleries, each with 10 stone seating benches. Royalty and their guests enjoyed a private entrance with stairs leading directly to the royal box. Following a fire in 1809,

King Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...

had it rebuilt and donated it to the town, which installed a small museum (usually only open to the public Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings at 11.15)

Buildings

Sights in the city include many buildings in addition to the 17th century Royal Palace and church mentioned above: * House of Trades and Knights * House of Infantes and Atarfe * Pleasure craft Museum * Farmhand's House * House of Employees (currently

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

) * Alpajes Church *

Saint Pascual's Royal Convent The Convento de San Pascual is a royal monastery in Aranjuez, in the Community of Madrid, Spain, founded by King Charles III of Spain as a Franciscan monastery and built from 1765 to 1770. Under the reign of Isabel II of Spain, it was assigned to ...

* Old Saint Charles' Hospital (to be restored) * Charles III's Royal Theatre (recently restored and reopened in 2014) * Supply Market * Plaza de Toros and

Bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms w ...

Museum "Una Gran Fiesta" * Medinaceli Palace * Governor's House (currently University of High Studies Centre Philip II) * Mother Queen's old garage, today cultural centre "Isabel de Farnesio" * Typical 'corralas' (buildings with running balconies around a central courtyard) * Godoy and Osuna Palaces * Silvela's Palace (also known as Bavaria's Palace) * Royal Country Estate of Saint Isidro

Parks and gardens

Numerous parks and gardens are open to the public (detailed in ) * Isle Garden – to the north of the palace, bordered by the river (beyond weir) and a broad irrigation canal * Parterre Garden The formal garden and fountains in front of the palace and to the north of Mariblanca/San Isadro * Prince's Garden Along the river to the east, bordered by Calle de la Reina * Isabella II's Garden a small formal garden adjacent to Mariblanca/San Isidro * Historical thickets and woodlands * Centre of Interpretation of the Natural Reserve "El Regajal-Mar de Ontígola" * Tree-lined walks and rides through the former nursery gardens (now agriculture) at ''Doce Calles'' (12 ways roundabout on M-305 Northbound to Madrid)

Climate

Aranjuez has a cold

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''BSk'') with cool winters and hot, dry summers.

Government and administration

The city of Aranjuez is governed by a single municipal authority, which, for convenience divides into the several administrative districts which in turn may contain residential estates (''urbanizaciones): * Centro, includes the royal sites, the bullring and the historic town center, with central market and shopping * Vergel – Olivas, * Polígono de Las Aves, to the west near the railway station, near Pirelli & Jardín Narváez * Nuevo Aranjuez, to the south, on higher ground * Foso – Moreras associated with Garden City of Agfa, and ambitious, but as yet incomplete project * Urbanización Mirador de Aranjuez A vast, mostly failed (turn of the 20th–21st century) house-building project on a steep southerly slope overlooking the old town. * La Montaña – new (turn of the 20th–21st century) district of about 5000 homes (Many 'toxic assets' still vacant) about north of the town. It has the district Hospital-Tajo, a 4-star Hotel-Barcelo with spa and 18-hole golf-course, Gran-Casino, La Finca event venue, a vast commercial centre (Plaza) and car-park which was built but never opened, and a business campus Centro Empresial which contains the small-business support unit APME, a substantial supermarket and a few small businesses. Various shops are to be found elsewhere about the ''barrio''. The residents Association is known as Asociación de Vecinos del Barrio de la Montaña or AVBM. * Cortijo de San Isidro, a small residential settlement around a former royal hunting lodge, a volunteer sub-council represents residents interests.

Economy

The main pillars of the local economy are hotels and tourism. Aranjuez has always been an attractive city for tourists with its

, the

gardens A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

, the

river and the landscapes. In 2001 this city was designated as a

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

, and since then, tourism has kept on increasing until hit by the 2008 recession. Prior to 2008 much money was spent in order to beautify Aranjuez and many pubs and restaurants were opened (from 2001 to 2004 their number increased 22%).

La Montaña

This was a 'pharonic' ''proyecto de Actuación Urbanística (PAU)'' of some 5000 mixed 'open market homes ''(Viviendas precio libre or VPL)'' of which, by 2012, something around one fifth were actually sold. The remainder are now owned by the 'bad bank' SAREB In 2005 a major events and gambling installation Gran Casino was opened in the (northern) barrio Montaña near the existing conference centers of La Finca and Hotel Occidental Aranjuez (which includes an 18-hole golf course). Nearby, the ambitious Plaza commercial center, built but not fitted, has never opened, and the smaller enterprise center, although open, contains a local supermarket, two cafés an English Academy and less than a dozen other small businesses. Finally, in March 2008 the University Hospital Tajo was opened. In 2013 this hospital, together with several others medical facilities in the

was threatened with privatisation, provoking considerable public protest known as the Marea Blanca (the white (coat) wave or tide).

Agriculture

Aranjuez is located on the fertile plain in the deep, high sided valley (cuenca) of the river

(the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

Vega del Tajo), whose rich soil is suitable for growing wheat and other

cereals A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...

. There are also horticultural

plantations A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

, notably of

asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

and

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

but also (centered on

Villaconejos Villaconejos is a municipality of the Community of Madrid, Spain. Historically, Villaconejos's economy has been based on agriculture. Examples of the region's common crops include olives, cereals, and fruits, including melons. The melons of Vi ...

)

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyard ...

s and extensive production of

melons A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...

. Typical of the neighbouring region of Castilla-La Mancha Aranjuez and the Vega del Tajo also produce a wide variety of products such as

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many other ...

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...

s, potatoes, tomatoes,

artichoke The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...

s, beets and

Jalapeño The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scov ...

peppers. The Real Cortijo de San Isidro is a settlement about 6 km north of Aranjuez where King

Charles III of Spain it, Carlo Sebastiano di Borbone e Farnese , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = 20 January 1716 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain , death_da ...

established a royal farm in 1766, exploiting existing agricultural land. There is a village with a royal chapel (Hermitage) and a wine cellar (Bodegas del Real Cortijo de San Isidro)

Industry

The proximity to

and the good communications by road and rail made Aranjuez a suitable location for industry: detergents, Mechanical engineering, computer and electrical material, photographic materials,

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and ...

products,

paint Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

s and

varnish Varnish is a clear transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not a stain. It usually has a yellowish shade from the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmented as desired, and is sold commercially in variou ...

es, sugar refineries, and oil mills. The majority of the industries are located to the west of the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

station or in the "Gonzalo Chacón"

industrial park An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park ...

, in the south. The main existing industries are: *

Indra Sistemas Indra Sistemas, S.A. () is a Spanish information technology and defense systems company. Indra is listed on the Bolsa de Madrid and is a constituent of the IBEX 35 index. Indra is organized around three business areas: information technologies ...

(Defence and high technology computer & informatics systems).
Electrónica Aranjuez
(EASA High technology & defence electronics), part of grupo Espacio Industrial. * Bosch (electrical components for automobiles). * Carburos Metálicos Medical & industrial gasses and chemicals. * FYSE Pharmaceuticals, a division of / Ercros Industrial S.A. * Cortefiel, a garment logistics facility for a retail company marketing brands such as Springfield, women'secret, Fifty Factory, Antonio Miró Studio and Pedro del Hierro Fashion
API Fabricación
(Road signage) part of grupo Imesapi Previous industrial activities now reduced, mothballed or closed included *

Lever Brothers Lever Brothers was a British manufacturing company founded in 1885 by two brothers: William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and successfully promoted a new soap-making p ...

(manufacture and packaging of detergents) * ISN (formerly Fruehauf) trailer manufacture & precision plastics for transport industry * Embalajes Castro S.A. Wooden crate manufacturer & general packaging specialists * Near the station there is also extensive unused railway sidings, warehouses and a sugar refining plant all presumably abandoned in the early part of the 20th century Proposals for rehabilitation of this zone as a rail to road

container port A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...

are currently (2018) under consideration. * Agfa film: ECESA (Estudios Cinema Español), S.A.created in 1931, reformed in 1935 as E.A.S.A. (Estudios de Aranjuez, Sociedad Anónima) but made few films. In 1950 (MAFE (Manufacturas Fotográficas Españolas, S.A.) started to produce photographic film, and was absorbed into Agfa in 1964 before being closed definitively in 2001.Report (in Spanish) by historias-cinematograficas de España
/ref>

Transportation

Aranjuez enjoys excellent road and rail links to the Spanish capital city of

Road

Aranjuez is served by the public

Autovía A-4 The Autovía A-4 or Autopista AP-4 (also called ''Autovía del Sur'' that means ''Southern Autovía'') is a Spanish autovía and Highways in Spain, autopista route which starts in Madrid and ends in Cádiz. The Autopista AP-4; formerly tolled, ( ...

(Madrid Cordoba) The exit at kilometre 37 connects to the M-305 (regular road which leads via La Montaña district and automotive sales zone (3 km north of city) and then directly to the royal palace. The A4 exit at kilometre 52 serves the south of the town, as does the toll road Radial R-4. Six main line bus routes serve the locality via the bus station, Las Infantas. Taxis and local bus services (four routes) link to the railway station. The municipality provides a free public pedal bicycle scheme although there is a modest registration fee. Kioscos chinescos aranjuez

There is also a tourist ''Chiquitren road train'' which tours the town and the extensive ''jardin del principe'' royal garden.

Rail

Aranjuez railway station building is richly ornamented in the neomudéjar style. It was built by the then operator ''Compañía de los Ferrocarriles de Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante'' between 1922 and 1927. It was recently renovated by RENFE, who operate an hourly shuttle service to Madrid and medium distance services to other destinations. The

Strawberry train El Tren de la Fresa or the Strawberry Train is an heritage train service operated on the railway that was inaugurated on 9 February 1851 between Madrid and Aranjuez as the second railway line in mainland Spain. The original purpose of the railwa ...

is a special

Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the loco ...

Heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

service provided for summer visitors and tourists.

River

The river is obstructed and so used only by a local tourist boat and canoeists. There is an annual fun rafting competition run by ''the pirates of the tajo''. An ancient irrigation system for the royal kitchen-gardens and orchards (now farmland) includes channels and a noria waterwheel, recently restored in a leisure area known as Talud Sur (south bank of) de La Montaña de Aranjuez. The old, tree-lined avenues around are maintained provide shady level walkways.

Local media

Print media

* ''Heraldo de Aranjuez''. * ''Tablón de Anuncios''.
''Consumo Digital''

''Cuatro Esquinas''

''Divergente''
* ''El Espejo''.

Radio stations

* Onda Aranjuez, 107.8 FM. * Cadena Ser Aranjuez, 89.3 FM. * Onda Cero Aranjuez, 90.7 FM. * Radio Fuga, 92.1 FM.

Sports facilities

* The city has a long tradition of water sports due to its connection with the

river, such as

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other act ...

, stand-up paddleboarding and

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

. In the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

bid of

for the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, which were held in London, Aranjuez was the selected site for these sports. In spite of this, there are plans to continue the construction of the necessary sport facilities, which should be finished by 2010. * Aranjuez has a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

team, ''Real Aranjuez C.F.'', which plays in the Local Stadium, called "El Deleite". * Nearby Ocaña has a

skydiving Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...

and

gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...

centre at the

Aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...

, and most of the skydivers there base themselves in Aranjuez. * Aranjuez has 18 hole-golf course located on "The Mountain", which belongs to the Hotel Occidental Aranjuez.

Notable people

Infante Carlos, Count of Molina ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...

(1788–1855), Infante of Spain and claimant to the throne. *

Francisco Clavet Francisco Javier Clavet González de Castejón (; born 24 October 1968), known as Pato Clavet (), is a former professional tennis player from Spain. He won eight singles titles, reached the semifinals of the 1992 Indian Wells Masters and the 1 ...

, tennis player. * Francis, Duke of Cadiz, husband of queen

Isabella II of Spain Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the succes ...

. * Javier García Portillo,

football player A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

. * Ángel Parra, judoka. *

Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical gu ...

, composer and 1st Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez. * Santiago Rusiñol, painter. * Jose Luis Sampedro, writer. * Iván Sánchez-Rico Soto alias Riki,

. * Francisco Agustín Silvela y Blanco, Minister of Gobernación and Gracia y Justicia. Vice-President of the Congress of Deputies and Magistrate of the Supreme Court. * Carlos Suarez,

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player.

Aranjuez in the arts

Vistas de los Sitios Reales y Madrid - Fernando Brambila - Aranjuez

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...

's drama ''Don Carlos'' starts with the words „Die schönen Tage in Aranjuez sind nun zu Ende.“

wrote the

Concierto de Aranjuez The ''Concierto de Aranjuez'' (, "Aranjuez Concerto") is a classical guitar concerto by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is by far Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the mos ...

(1939) for guitar and orchestra which was inspired by the royal gardens of Aranjuez and became one of the most famous orchestral compositions of the 20th century. The Austrian writer

Peter Handke Peter Handke (; born 6 December 1942) is an Austrian novelist, playwright, translator, poet, film director, and screenwriter. He was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored t ...

wrote the play ''Die schönen Tage von Aranjuez'' (The beautiful days of Aranjuez), which was translated into English by Michael Roloff.

Culture

Traditions

In summer it is traditional to eat dinner in the picnic areas next to the

river. These places are called , a Spanish word used only in Aranjuez.

Festivals

* Alfaranjuez In May – includes a Craft Fair with Folk Aranjuez Traditional Music Festival and a used vehicle fair. * San Isidro Labrador day, 15 May, pilgrimage in the nearby hunting lodge of Real Cortijo de San Isidro. * San Fernando town festival week, around 30 May, parades and events. * Early Music Festival'' Aranjuez, held in about May or June * Book Fair Aranjuez, in contrast with the Used Book Fair and Sale, held in September. *

re-enactment about first week of September, declared a cultural event of National Tourist Interest, which includes **a funfair (car park, M-305), **sports events (Delete stadium), **food and drink stalls (Mariblanca), **a concert at the Royal Palace, **a traditional or ''Sacrificio Goyesque'' (in the Plaza de Toros), ** a dramatic street re-enactment of the flaming torch attack and capture of Godoy at his Palace, (that building now houses a school) with fireworks and costumes inspired by Goya paintings. ** A fun raft-race organized by the ''pirates of the Tajo'' social club

Gastronomy

* Local horticultural produce, especially: **

Strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

and

** Sweet, green toadskin melons,

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

and local

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

from nearby

'Las Vagas' which includes

– Chinchón agricultural areas *

Pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

, a characteristic gamebird from the area's forests.

Twin towns – sister cities

Other towns within the municipality

Algodor Algodor is a small settlement between Toledo and Aranjuez, Spain. The locality is within the municipal limits of Aranjuez and is in the Community of Madrid. It has a population of 14, but in its heyday in the 1920s there were more inhabitants a ...

* Castillejo * Las Infantas * Real Cortijo de San Isidro

References

External links

* :wikivoyage:Aranjuez Wikimedia tourist guide project
Official homepage of Aranjuez City Council

Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture
Official Tourist Agency
website with comprehensive professional photographs of main attractions {{Authority control Municipalities in the Community of Madrid Articles containing video clips