Royal Palace of Aranjuez

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Royal Palace of Aranjuez
Palacio Real de Aranjuez
General information
Architectural style	Renaissance
Location	Aranjuez (Madrid). Spain
Opened	Exclusive property for the monarch: 1523
Management	Patrimonio Nacional
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Juan Bautista de Toledo Juan de Herrera Francesco Sabatini Giuseppe Gricci Rafael Contreras Muñoz
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv
Designated	2001 (25th session)
Part of	Aranjuez Cultural Landscape
Reference no.	1044
Region	Europe and North America
Spanish Cultural Heritage
Official name	Palacio de Aranjuez con sus dependencias
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	3 June 1931
Reference no.	RI-51-0001063

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^[a] in 1568, Barbara of Portugal^[b] in 1758, Elisabeth Farnese^[c] in 1766, Maria Antonia of Naples^[d] in 1806, Maria Isabel of Braganza^[e] in 1818 and Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony^[f] 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 it houses a museum on the ground floor, the royal rooms and gardens are open to the public and its management is entrusted to the public agency Patrimonio Nacional.
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