Half an hour from Aranjuez by road, Chinchón is the day trip that pairs best with the Royal Site. Its Plaza Mayor, irregular in shape and lined with houses with continuous wooden balconies, has been a market, an open-air theatre and a bullring, and it still is during fiestas. Its current shape, closed on every side, dates from 1683.
What to see
- The Plaza Mayor, walked under the arcades and seen from above, from one of its balconies.
- The church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which watches over the town from the hill and holds Goya’s Assumption of the Virgin.
- The clock tower, the survivor of a lost church.
- The Parador, in a former Augustinian monastery.
Combining it with Aranjuez
Morning at the Royal Palace and the gardens, lunch in Chinchón and a stroll round the square at sunset. On the way you pass close to Villaconejos, known for its melons, and Colmenar de Oreja.
What few people tell you
- Goya painted the Assumption in 1812 at the request of his brother Camilo, who was the church's chaplain.
- The clock tower doesn't belong to today's church: it's what remains of the church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, destroyed during the Peninsular War.
- The Castillo de los Condes is privately owned and can't be visited inside.
- At weekends the square fills up at lunchtime. Arrive early or mid-afternoon.
Sources and official links
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