Aranjuez is a city and municipality in Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. It is located at the southern end of the region. The main part of the city is on the left bank of the Tagus River, slightly upstream from where the Jarama River flows into the Tagus. As of 2022, the official population count for the municipality was 59,762. In 1560, during the reign of King Philip II, Aranjuez became one of the royal estates of the Spanish Crown. Until 1752, only members of the royal family and nobility were allowed to live in the town. The cultural and historical area of Aranjuez was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Name

There are different ideas about where the name comes from. The most common idea is that it comes from the Basque language and is related to the word "arantza," which means "hawthorn" in English. Another idea, suggested by Padre Martín Sarmiento, a monk and scholar who lived about 100 years after Philip II of Spain, the founder of Aranjuez, says the name may come from the Latin phrase "Ara Jovis" or "Ara Iovia," which means "the altar of the Roman god Jupiter." However, the theory that connects the name to a time before the Romans ruled the area is usually considered more likely.

History

Alfonso VI took control of the area near the Tagus River, including Aranjuez, after the 1085 conquest of the Taifa of Toledo. During the 12th century, Aranjuez (then called Aranz, Aranzuel, Aranzuegue, or Almuzundica) was a small village influenced by the castle of Oreja. After the 1108 defeat of Castilian and Leonese forces by the Almoravids at Uclés, the region came under Muslim control. Aurelia (Oreja) was retaken by Alfonso VII, the Emperor, following the 1194 surrender of the castle. In 1171, Alfonso VIII gave Oreja and its nearby villages to the Order of Santiago and its Grand Master, Pedro Fernández. Aranjuez was finally secured in 1178.

Aranjuez became the seat of the Mesa Maestral ("Master's Table") of the Order of Santiago in 1272. The connection between Aranjuez and the Crown began in 1493, when the Catholic Monarchs became administrators of the military orders. Adrian VI confirmed Emperor Charles V as Grand Master of the Order in 1523. The dehesa of Aranjuez later became Crown property.

Philip II declared Aranjuez a Royal Site in 1560. In the second half of the 16th century, the royal palace was built, and the settlement’s name was changed from Alpajes to Aranjuez. The palace was initially designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and completed by Juan de Herrera. Aranjuez was redesigned in the 18th century by Santiago Bonavía.

In 1752, during Ferdinand VI’s reign, Aranjuez, which had been reserved for the royal family and court nobles, began offering overnight lodging to visitors who had previously stayed in nearby towns like Ocaña.

A weir on the Tagus River, built next to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in 1753, powered a water wheel for milling wheat. Because the mill was visible from the palace, it was designed to look attractive and sometimes served as the town governor’s residence.

King Carlos III built the Long Bridge (about 300 meters long) over the Jarama River in 1761. In 1763, Carlos III, who supported physiocratic ideas, ordered the construction of Real Cortijo de San Isidro, a model farm. His successor, Charles IV, abandoned the farm, and it was later sold. Two years later, the king ordered the construction of the Franciscan Convent of San Pascual, which was later occupied by the Conceptionists.

The French architect Jaime Marquet started building the Coliseum Carlos III theatre in 1767.

An uprising called the Mutiny of Aranjuez occurred on March 17, 1808, when the royal family and government were staying in Aranjuez while traveling south, expecting a French invasion from the north. Soldiers, farmers, and citizens attacked Manuel Godoy’s quarters and captured him. The mutineers forced King Charles to remove Godoy from power, and two days later, the court pressured the king to abdicate in favor of his son and rival, Ferdinand VII.

Railway service reached Aranjuez on February 9, 1851, with the opening of the Madrid–Aranjuez line, the second in the Iberian Peninsula after the Barcelona–Mataró line (not the second in Spain, as the Havana–Güines line in Cuba opened in 1837). Aranjuez was granted the title of town (villa) in 1899.

During the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War, Aranjuez remained under Republican control until the war ended, becoming the headquarters of the 9th Division of the Spanish Republican Army. Important battles, such as the Battle of Seseña and the Battle of Jarama, occurred near Aranjuez. After the Rebel faction took control, a Francoist concentration camp operated in Aranjuez in 1939.

Main sites

The city was named Conjunto Histórico-Artístico ("Historic Artistic Junction") in 1983. In 2001, UNESCO added the Aranjuez Cultural Landscape to the list of World Heritage Sites.

This area was first developed beyond the Royal Palace, along the southern side of the river Tagus (called Tajo in Spanish). At the southern end of Plaza San Antonio, also known as Mariblanca, stands the Royal Church of San Antonio. It was built by King Philip IV of Spain for public and royal ceremonies. The name Mariblanca might come from the white sand in the plaza or from a statue of Venus, a goddess, at the far end of the plaza. The statue was created by sculptor Juan Reyna in 1762.

A bullring, one of the earliest in Spain, was built in 1760 by King Charles IV. It was later rebuilt and opened on May 14, 1797, by King Charles IV’s wife, Maria Luisa of Parma. The bullring could hold 9,000 people, even though the city’s population at the time was only 4,226. It had twelve public entrances leading to three circular galleries, each with ten stone benches. Royalty and guests used a private entrance that led directly to the royal box.

After a fire in 1809, King Ferdinand VII rebuilt the bullring and gave it to the town. A small museum was later added, usually open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays at 11:15 a.m.

Other sights in the city include:

• House of Trades and Knights
• House of Infantes and Atarfe
• Pleasure Craft Museum
• Farmhand’s House
• House of Employees (now the Town Hall)
• Alpajes Church
• Saint Pascual’s Royal Convent
• Old Saint Charles’ Hospital (planned for restoration)
• Charles III’s Royal Theatre (restored and reopened in 2014)
• Supply Market
• Plaza de Toros and Bullfighting Museum “Una Gran Fiesta”
• Medinaceli Palace
• Governor’s House (now the University of High Studies Centre Philip II)
• Mother Queen’s old garage (now the cultural center “Isabel de Farnesio”)
• Typical “corralas” (buildings with balconies around a central courtyard)
• Godoy and Osuna Palaces
• Silvela’s Palace (also called Bavaria’s Palace)
• Royal Country Estate of Saint Isidro

Public parks and gardens include:

• Isle Garden – located north of the palace, next to the river and a wide irrigation canal
• Parterre Garden – a formal garden and fountains in front of the palace and north of Mariblanca/San Isidro
• Prince’s Garden – along the river to the east, next to Calle de la Reina
• Isabella II’s Garden – a small formal garden near 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 used for agriculture) at Doce Calles (12 Ways roundabout on M-305 Northbound to Madrid)

Government and administration

The city of Aranjuez is managed by one group of officials, which divides the city into different areas. These areas may include living areas (urbanizaciones):

• Centro – includes the royal sites, the bullring, and the historic town center, with a central market and shopping areas
• Vergel – Olivas
• Polígono de Las Aves – located to the west near the railway station, near Pirelli & Jardín Narváez
• Nuevo Aranjuez – located to the south on higher ground
• Foso – Moreras – connected to the Garden City of Agfa, but the project is not finished yet
• Urbanización Mirador de Aranjuez – a large area built on a steep slope overlooking the old town, but most of the project did not work well during the late 1900s and early 2000s
• La Montaña – a new area built around the start of the 20th and 21st centuries, with about 5,000 homes. Many homes are still empty. This area includes the Hospital-Tajo district, a 4-star Hotel-Barcelo with a spa and an 18-hole golf course, Gran-Casino, La Finca event venue, a large commercial center (Plaza), a car-park that was built but never opened, and a business campus called Centro Empresial. Centro Empresial includes the small-business support unit APME, a large supermarket, and a few small businesses. Other shops are found throughout the neighborhood. The group of residents is called Asociación de Vecinos del Barrio de la Montaña or AVBM.
• Cortijo de San Isidro – a small residential area around a former royal hunting lodge. A volunteer group represents the interests of the residents.

Economy

The main parts of Aranjuez's local economy are hotels and tourism. Aranjuez has always been a popular place for visitors because of its Royal Palace, gardens, the Tagus River, and its natural beauty. In 2001, the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape. Since then, tourism has grown steadily until the 2008 economic downturn. Before 2008, a lot of money was spent to improve Aranjuez, and the number of pubs and restaurants increased by 22% between 2001 and 2004.

This was a large urban development project called PAU, which included about 5,000 open-market homes (VPL). By 2012, about one-fifth of these homes were sold. The rest are now owned by a financial institution called SAREB. In 2005, a major casino called Gran Casino opened in the northern neighborhood of Montaña, near existing conference centers like La Finca and Hotel Occidental Aranjuez, which also has an 18-hole golf course. Nearby, a commercial center called Plaza was built but never completed or opened. A smaller business center is open and includes a supermarket, two cafes, an English academy, and fewer than a dozen other small businesses. In March 2008, the University Hospital Tajo opened. In 2013, this hospital and other medical facilities in Madrid were threatened with privatization, leading to public protests known as the Marea Blanca.

Aranjuez is located on a fertile plain in the deep valley of the Tagus River (Vega del Tajo), where the rich soil is good for growing wheat and other grains. The area also has horticultural farms, especially for asparagus and strawberries. In Villaconejos, there are vineyards and large melon production. Aranjuez and the Vega del Tajo also produce crops such as sorghum, sunflowers, potatoes, tomatoes, artichokes, beets, and Jalapeño peppers.

The Real Cortijo de San Isidro is a settlement about 6 km north of Aranjuez, where King Charles III of Spain established a royal farm in 1766. The area includes a village with a royal chapel (Hermitage) and a wine cellar (Bodegas del Real Cortijo de San Isidro).

Aranjuez's closeness to Madrid and good road and rail connections made it a good place for industry. Industries in the area include detergents, mechanical engineering, computer and electrical materials, photographic supplies, pharmaceuticals, paints, sugar refineries, and oil mills. Most industries are located west of the railway station or in the "Gonzalo Chacón" industrial park in the south. Major industries include:

• Indra Sistemas (Defense and high-tech computer systems)
• Electrónica Aranjuez (EASA, high-tech and defense electronics)
• Bosch (automotive electrical components)
• Carburos Metálicos (medical and industrial gases and chemicals)
• FYSE Pharmaceuticals (a division of Ercros Industrial S.A.)
• Cortefiel (garment logistics for retail brands)
• API Fabricación (road signage, part of grupo Imesapi)

Some previous industries are no longer active or have been closed. These include:

• Lever Brothers (detergent production and packaging)
• ISN (trailer manufacturing and precision plastics)
• Embalajes Castro S.A. (wooden crate manufacturing and packaging)
• Near the station, there are unused railway sidings, warehouses, and a sugar refinery, likely abandoned in the early 20th century. Proposals to use this area as a rail-to-road container port are being considered.
• Agfa film: ECESA (Estudios Cinema Español, S.A.) was created in 1931 and later became EASA. In 1950, MAFE (Manufacturas Fotográficas Españolas, S.A.) started producing photographic film, which was later absorbed by Agfa in 1964. The company closed permanently in 2001.

Transportation

Aranjuez has good roads and train connections to Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

The public highway Autovía A-4 (Madrid-Córdoba) serves Aranjuez. The exit at kilometer 37 connects to the M-305 road, which leads through the La Montaña district and an automotive sales area (3 kilometers north of the city) to the royal palace. The A-4 exit at kilometer 52 serves the southern part of the town, as does the toll road Radial R-4.

Six main bus routes stop at the Las Infantas bus station. Taxis and four local bus routes connect to the railway station.

The town offers a free public bicycle program, though there is a small registration fee.

A tourist train called Chiquitren runs along a special route through the town and the large Jardín del Príncipe Royal garden.

The Aranjuez railway station is beautifully decorated in the neomudéjar style. It was built by the Compañía de los Ferrocarriles de Madrid a Zaragoza y Alicante between 1922 and 1927. RENFE recently renovated the station and operates an hourly shuttle service to Madrid and medium-distance trains to other destinations. A special steam train called the Strawberry Train runs during the summer for visitors and tourists.

The river is blocked and used only by tourist boats and canoeists. A yearly rafting competition is held by the Pirates of the Tajo.

An old irrigation system, once used for the royal kitchen gardens and orchards (now farmland), includes channels and a noria waterwheel. This system was recently restored in a leisure area called Talud Sur (south bank of) La Montaña de Aranjuez. The tree-lined paths around the area are kept in good condition and provide shaded, flat walking paths.

Local media

Newspapers and Magazines:
• Aranjuez Herald
• Aranjuez Bulletin
• Digital Consumption
• Four Corners
• Divergent
• The Mirror

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 history of water sports because of its connection to the Tagus River, including activities like canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and rowing. During Madrid's bid for the 2012 Olympics, which were held in London, Aranjuez was chosen as the location for these sports. Despite this, plans are still underway to build the needed sports facilities, which are expected to be completed by 2010.

Aranjuez has a football team called Real Aranjuez C.F., which plays at a local stadium named "El Deleite."

Nearby, in Ocaña, there is a skydiving and gliding center located at an aerodrome. Many of the skydivers who use this facility live in Aranjuez.

Aranjuez also has an 18-hole golf course located on "The Mountain," which is part of the Hotel Occidental Aranjuez.

Notable people

• Infante Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855), Infante of Spain and claimant to the throne.
• Francisco Clavet, tennis player.
• Francis, Duke of Cadiz, husband of Queen Isabella II of Spain.
• Javier García Portillo, football player.
• Ángel Parra, judo athlete.
• Joaquín Rodrigo, composer and 1st Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez.
• Santiago Rusiñol, painter.
• Jose Luis Sampedro, writer.
• Iván Sánchez-Rico Soto alias Riki, football player.
• 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 player.

Aranjuez in the arts

Friedrich Schiller's play Don Carlos begins with the line "Die schönen Tage in Aranjuez sind nun zu Ende."

Joaquín Rodrigo composed the Concierto de Aranjuez in 1939 for guitar and orchestra. This piece was created based on the royal gardens of Aranjuez and became one of the most well-known pieces of music from the 20th century.

The Austrian writer Peter Handke wrote the play Die schönen Tage von Aranjuez (The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez). This work was translated into English by Michael Roloff.

Culture

In the summer, it is traditional to have dinner in picnic areas near the Tagus River. These places are called gangos, a word used only in Aranjuez, Spain.

• Alfaranjuez in May includes a Craft Fair, a Folk Music Festival, and a Used Vehicle Fair.
• San Isidro Labrador Day on May 15 features a pilgrimage at the nearby hunting lodge called Real Cortijo de San Isidro.
• San Fernando Town Festival happens around May 30 and includes parades and other events.
• The Early Music Festival Aranjuez takes place in May or June.
• The Book Fair Aranjuez occurs in September, different from the Used Book Fair and Sale, which also happens in September.
• The Mutiny of Aranjuez Re-enactment happens in the first week of September. It is a national tourist event and includes a funfair (at a car park on M-305), sports events (at Delete Stadium), food and drink stalls (at Mariblanca), a concert at the Royal Palace, a traditional event called Sacrificio Goyesque (in the Plaza de Toros), a dramatic street re-enactment of the flaming torch attack and capture of Godoy at his palace (now a school), fireworks, and costumes inspired by paintings by Goya. A raft race is organized by the pirates of the Tajo social club.

• Local food includes strawberries, asparagus, sweet green toadskin melons, olive oil, and wine from the nearby area called Las Vagas, which includes Villaconejos and Chinchón.
• Pheasant, a type of bird found in the area’s forests, is also a local specialty.