Palacio Real de Aranjuez
Castle · Madrid south
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Palacio Real de Aranjuez was commissioned by Felipe II in 1561, designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and finished by his pupil Juan de Herrera. Fernando VI and Carlos III later expanded it into the courtyard seen today. Its gardens, watered by the Tajo and Jarama, are the most important surviving from Spain's Habsburg period; UNESCO listed the whole landscape as a World Heritage Site in 2001.
From Wikipedia
The Royal Palace of Aranjuez (Spanish: Palacio Real de Aranjuez) is one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family. It is located in the town of Aranjuez (Madrid), Spain. Established in the 16th century as a royal hunting lodge, the palace was built by order of Philip II. Under his reign it became one of four seasonal seats of the court along Rascafría, El Escorial and the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. The royal estate comprises a set of landscaped and ornate gardens and woodlands that house an extensive botanical collection. Several international treaties were signed there and several members of the royal family died in the palace, including: Elisabeth of Valois in 1568, Barbara of Portugal in 1758, Elisabeth Farnese in 1766, Maria Antonia of Naples in 1806, Maria Isabel of Braganza in 1818 and Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony in 1828. In 1931, during the Second Spanish Republic, the royal estate was declared an Artistic Historical Monument and opened to the public. From 1977 to 1983, the palace served as a state guest house. The palace, gardens and associated buildings are part of the Aranjuez Cultural Landscape, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Currently...