Royal Palace of Aranjuez

Philip II had it built in the 16th century on the site of the old house of the masters of the Order of Santiago. Juan Bautista de Toledo designed it and, after his death, his pupil Juan de Herrera carried on: the same team as El Escorial. Work stopped for the whole 17th century, and it was Ferdinand VI and Charles III who finished it in the 18th, adding the two wings that close the main courtyard.

For centuries the court moved here every spring. So this is not a state palace like the one in Madrid but a pleasure house: rooms made for living by the water, looking out over the gardens and the river.

What not to miss inside

• The Porcelain Room. The first great work of the Buen Retiro Royal Porcelain Factory, completed in 1765 under Giuseppe Gricci. Walls and ceiling are covered in porcelain with chinoiserie scenes, garlands and monkeys. It was Charles III’s study and later Isabella II’s music room.
• The Arab Room. Between 1848 and 1850 Isabella II commissioned a room inspired by the Hall of the Two Sisters in the Alhambra, by Rafael Contreras. Its neo-Gothic bronze chandelier has 81 lights.
• The dining room. Its vault was painted by Giacomo Amigoni and, after his death in 1752, finished by Corrado Giaquinto.
• The views. From the north windows you see the Tagus wrapping around the palace: the best way to understand why the kings chose this place.

How it fits into your day

The palace takes a good hour. The natural pairing is the Parterre, right against the east façade, and the Island Garden, across the channel. If you have the afternoon, keep your ticket: it also gets you into the Royal Barge Museum.