Aranjuez is unusual: a town that didn’t grow bit by bit but was designed all at once. For centuries it was a royal estate where only people serving the court could live. Around 1750, under Ferdinand VI, private building was allowed and the architect Santiago Bonavía drew up a master plan, approved that same summer: wide, straight streets, regular blocks, squares opening towards the palace and avenues of trees heading out into the countryside.
What to look for
- The Casa de Caballeros y Oficios, opposite the palace, with its endless arcade.
- The grid streets, such as Stuart, Gobernador or San Antonio, with brick and stone façades.
- The corralas, apartment buildings with wooden galleries around a courtyard.
- The market hall, in iron and brick, on the Plaza de la Constitución.
- The Teatro Real Carlos III and the bullring, both 18th-century.
Walks with maps
The Town Council publishes ten walking routes with downloadable maps: the Court City, the Viewpoints, Palaces and Churches, the Raso de la Estrella and the Twelve Streets, among others. They are the best way to see the town through the eyes of an 18th-century planner.
What few people tell you
- Until the mid-18th century, only people serving the court could live here. When the restrictions were lifted, Santiago Bonavía designed a whole new town in one go: that's why it looks drawn with a ruler.
- Peek into courtyards: the corralas, apartment blocks with wooden galleries around a courtyard, are a hallmark of Aranjuez.
- The arcade of the Casa de Caballeros y Oficios is so long that early in the morning it seems to have no end. The perspective shot par excellence.
- The market hall (Mercado de Abastos) on the Plaza de la Constitución is the place to buy strawberries and asparagus in season.
Sources and official links
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