Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, part of the

Community of Madrid The Community of Madrid (; ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities and 50 provinces of Spain, provinces of Spain. It is located at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and Meseta Central, Central Plateau (); its capital and largest munici ...

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

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

, a bit upstream of the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality has a registered population of 59,762. Aranjuez became one of the Royal Estates of the

Crown of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

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

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

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

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

and derives it from ''arantza'' (" hawthorn" in English). Another theory, attributed to Padre Martín Sarmiento, a Benedictine scholar who lived about a century after the founder of Aranjuez,

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

, 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 spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

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

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

of the Roman god

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

. However the pre-Roman derivation is generally preferred.

History

Early history

Alfonso VI took control of the territory near the Tagus, including Aranjuez, after 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 Alarc ...

donated Oreja and its dependent hamlets in 1171 to the

Order of Santiago The Order of 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 pilgrims on the Way of S ...

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 Isabella I of Castile, Queen Isabella I of Crown of Castile, Castile () and Ferdinand II of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Crown of Aragón, Aragon (), whose marriage and joint rule marked the ''de facto'' unification of ...

became administrators of the military orders. Adrian VI confirmed

Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) 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 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 and completed by Juan de Herrera. Aranjuez was extensively redesigned in the 18th century by Santiago Bonavía. In 1752, during the reign of

Ferdinand VI Ferdinand VI (; 23 September 1713 – 10 August 1759), called the Learned (''el Prudente'') and the Just (''el Justo''), was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death in 1759. He was the third ruler of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. He was the ...

, Aranjuez, which was previously

reserved Reserved is a Polish apparel retailer headquartered in Gdańsk, Poland. It was founded in 1999 and remains the flagship brand of the LPP (company), LPP group, which has more than 2,200 retail stores located in over 38 countries and also owns su ...

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 water 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 kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...

for milling

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common 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 ...

. 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 Jarama 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. They believed that the wealth of nations derived solely from the value of "land agricultu ...

ordered the construction of Real Cortijo de San Isidro, a model farm which was abandoned by his successor (his second son,

Charles IV of Spain Charles IV (; 11 November 1748 – 20 January 1819) was King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808. The Spain inherited by Charles IV gave few indications of instability, but during his reign, Spain entered a series of disa ...

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

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

Convent of San Pascual, later occupied by the Conceptionists. The French architect Jaime Marquet began construction of the theatre Coliseum Carlos III in 1767. An uprising, the so-called

Mutiny of Aranjuez The Tumult of Aranjuez (), also known as the Mutiny of 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 S ...

, took place on 17 March 1808 when the royal family and the government were staying at Aranjuez on their way south, as they were anticipating a French invasion from the north. Soldiers, peasants and members of the general public assaulted

Manuel Godoy Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria Ríos (12 May 1767 – 4 October 1851), 1st ''Prince of the Peace'', 1st ''Duke of Alcudia'', 1st ''Duke of Sueca'', 1st ''Baron of Mascalbó'', was the First Secretary of State of the Kingdom of Spain from ...

's quarters and captured him. The mutineers made Charles dismiss Godoy, and two days later, the court forced the King himself to abdicate in favour 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 List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

–Aranjuez line, the second in the Iberian Peninsula after

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 Maresme county in Catalonia, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, Maresme coast, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, north-east of Barcel ...

(not the second in Spain, as the

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of 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 ...

line had been opened in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

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

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, 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 República'' ...

. 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 Second Spanish Republic, Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War. Elite Spa ...

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

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

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 (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

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 c ...

as a

Mariblanca

This was the first extension beyond the Royal 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 (, ; 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 his patronage of the ...

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 . Religious and civil (secular) ceremoni ...

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 often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

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, 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 Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (the Desired), and af ...

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 municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

) * Alpajes Church * Saint Pascual's Royal Convent * Old Saint Charles' Hospital (to be restored) *

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

'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 wh ...

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 se ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''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 Royal Palace, 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 World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

, 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'' (, , , ) 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, mark ...

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

cereals A cereal is a grass cultivated for its edible grain. Cereals are the world's largest crops, and are therefore staple foods. They include rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, and maize (Corn). Edible grains from other plant families, suc ...

. There are also horticultural

plantations Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tobacco ...

, notably of

asparagus Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...

and

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

but also (centered on Villaconejos)

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

s and extensive production of melons. 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 bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

s, potatoes, tomatoes,

artichoke The 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 other names: French artichoke, globe artichoke, ...

s, beets and

Jalapeño The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper Fruit, pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and wide, and hangs down from the plant. The pungency of jalapeño peppers varies, but is usual ...

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

Charles III of Spain Charles III (; 20 January 1716 – 14 December 1788) was King of Spain in the years 1759 to 1788. He was also Duke of Parma and Piacenza, as Charles I (1731–1735); King of Naples, as Charles VII; and King of Sicily, as Charles III (or V) (1735� ...

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 Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, 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 ...

products,

paint Paint is a material or mixture that, when applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image or images known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are ...

s and

varnish Varnish is a clear Transparency (optics), transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmente ...

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 using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

station or in the "Gonzalo Chacón"

industrial park An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or 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 par ...

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

Indra Sistemas Indra Sistemas, S.A. () is a Spanish information technology and defense company. Indra is listed on the Bolsa de Madrid and is a constituent of the IBEX 35 index. The current executive chairman is Ángel Escribano. In 2018 and 2019 Indra was fi ...

(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 and 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 Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, William Hesketh Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), and James Darcy Lever (1854–1916). They invested in and su ...

(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, container terminal, or intermodal 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 v ...

are currently (2018) under consideration. *

Agfa Agfa-Gevaert N.V. (Agfa) is a Belgian-German multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, and distributes Analog photography, analogue and digital imaging products, software, and systems. The company began as a dye manufacturer in 1867 ...

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 (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 Renfe (, ), officially Renfe-Operadora, is Spain's national state-owned railway company. It was created in 2005 upon the split of the former Spanish National Railway Network (RENFE) into the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias ( ...

, who operate an hourly shuttle service to Madrid and medium distance services to other destinations. The Strawberry train 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, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

Heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. 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) ...

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. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

, 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 a ...

. In the Olympic bid of

for the 2012 Olympics, 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, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

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

skydiving Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes. For hu ...

and

gliding Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sports, air sport in which pilots fly glider aircraft, unpowered aircraft known as Glider (sailplane), gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmospher ...

centre at the

Aerodrome An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip 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 public or private use. Aerodromes inc ...

, 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 the ...

(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 Newsweek Champions Cup – Singl ...

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

Isabella II of Spain Isabella II (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...

. * 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, composer and 1st Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez. *

Santiago Rusiñol Santiago Rusiñol i Prats (, ; Barcelona 25 February 1861 – Aranjuez 13 June 1931) was a Spanish painter, poet, journalist, collector and playwright. He was one of the leaders of the Catalan '' modernisme'' movement. He created more than ...

, 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 (appro ...

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, philosopher and historian. Schiller is considered by most Germans to be Germany's most important classical playwright. He was born i ...

's drama ''Don Carlos'' starts with the words "Die schönen Tage in Aranjuez sind nun zu Ende." Joaquín Rodrigo wrote the Concierto de Aranjuez (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 Austrians, 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 ...

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 plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

and

** Sweet, green toadskin melons,

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

and local

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

from nearby

'Las Vagas' which includes Villaconejos –

Chinchón Chinchón () is a town and municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Located 50 km south-east of the city of Madrid, the municipality covers an area of 115.91 km2. , it has a population of 5,239. Its historic centre, with a notab ...

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's native range is restricted to Eura ...

, a characteristic

gamebird Galliformes is an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding birds that includes turkeys, chickens, quail, and other landfowl. Gallinaceous birds, as they are called, are important in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators, and are ofte ...

from the area's forests.

Twin towns – sister cities

Other towns within the municipality

* Algodor * 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