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Madrid Holidays
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Tourist information about Madrid in Spain. Travel to Madrid and let Spain-Holiday.com guide and accommodate you |
ARANJUEZ (photo 1)
Located 47 km from Madrid capital city
This location is renowned for being a Royal Retreat with an impressive "Palacio Real" and the surrounding magnificent gardens. Although recorded as being inhabited since Roman times and later by the Order of Santiago, the Palace built on the order of King Philip V has been a residence of the Spanish Kings since the 15th Century. Plagued by a history of fires and subsequent reconstructions it still continues to maintain its original architectural unity. The "Jardín del Parterre" garden is adorned with numerous sculptures, while the "Jardín de la Isla" stands out for its classical fountains. The "Jardín del Príncipe" is a Spanish version of a typical English-style garden of the same period. The "Casa del Labrador" is an unashamed imitation of the "Petit Trianon" at Versailles. This hunting pavilion was constructed by order of King Carlos IV and is to be found in the "Jardín del Príncipe".
The associated town of Aranjuez was only built in the 18th century on the orders of King Fernando VI. It reflects many of the ideas of the Enlightenment Movement that was very much in vogue at that particular time.
ALCALÁ DE HENARES (photo 2)
Located 33 km from Madrid capital city.
Declared a World Heritage City, this historic university town was first developed by the Moors and then in the 12th Century captured from them by soldiers led by the warrior Bishops from Toledo. The "Universidad Complutense" was founded in 1486 and quickly became a rival to Salamanca the only other university town of that time.
The main university building in "Plaza de San Diego" boasts a proud façade and the interior courtyards are also worthy of a visit. The most famous of these is called the Patio Trilingüe in which students of Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages were taught. The Auditorium is also worth a visit as is many of the city’s fine churches. The house where Cervantes was born is on "Calle de la Imagen" and it has been reconstructed and furnished with furniture and household items from his era
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