The celebration of the patron saint's day takes place on May 30th and is held in honour of Saint Ferdinand. The townspeople fill the streets as they make their way to the traditional bull-runs, novilladas and bullfights. The Alfaranjuez, an interesting display of pottery and ceramics, also takes place at this time.

The September Fair dates back to the livestock fairs and festivals celebrated after the harvest and to the festivities which the monarchs organised for their enjoyment. During this period, the locals stage the famous Mutiny of Aranjuez, which has been declared a National Tourist Attraction. Another event held during this time is the extremely popular Pirate Descent of the River Tagus. For three kilometres, hundreds of locals sail down the Tagus in colourful and imaginative vessels drawing the cheers of the thousands of spectators who watch from the riverbank.

Considered the great festival of Aranjuez, the Festival Música Antigua Aranjuez takes place between the months of May and June. It is an event that hosts an attractive programme with a proposal of concerts suitable for all tastes.

The food of Aranjuez relies heavily on the fruits of the earth and the hunting tradition of the monarchy. In the most time-honoured restaurants we can still find those same dishes which delighted kings and nobles. Asparagus, the famous strawberries, tomatoes, lettuces, brussels sprouts and pheasant are some of the food which has made the riverside kitchens famous. Also worth a mention are the gangos, restaurants on the banks of the Tagus where you can savour salads, omelettes and rabbit with garlic. One of the restaurants where you can find the typical specialities of Aranjuez is El Rana Verde, which includes asparagus, pheasant or frog legs on its menu, as well as the famous strawberries and other food.

If you would like to purchase gastronomic products from the region, visit the specialised shops selling typical products.  This is the case of La Huerta de Aranjuez, specialised in Chilean strawberries, strawberries, artichokes and asparagus grown in the region and which has its own farm in Vega de Aranjuez.

Aranjuez was inhabited by settlements in the Neolithic Period and the Bronze Age. The Romans also lived on these lands which, during the Moorish occupation, formed a strategically important frontier territory between the Moorish kingdom of Toledo and the kingdoms of the Crown of Castile.

The municipality has boasted the title of Royal Site since the times of the Catholic Monarchs, but it was the Bourbons, who were really responsible for giving Aranjuez the final boost that would turn it into a court centre of monumental rank.

The town began to take on its present shape under the reign of Ferdinand VI, who ordered the drawing up of a plan for a new township. At the beginning of the 19^thcentury, Aranjuez witnessed the signing of the alliance treaty between Charles IV and Napoleon against England, a pact which the French emperor exploited in order to invade Spain with his troops.

Ferdinand VII, the son of Charles IV, rose up against his father's government leading to the Mutiny of Aranjuez in March 1808 (Charles IV abdicated and Manuel Godoy was imprisoned).

On January 2nd 1835, the Town Council of Aranjuez was finally established with José Ignacio de Ibarrola as its first mayor. In 1899, it received the title of Town and in 1940, the maestro Joaquín Rodrigo first performed his famous Concierto de Aranjuez, a musical composition for guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo written in 1939, a piece which has made the city's name known in the four corners of the world.  

• By Car: 40 minutes via the A-4 (Andalusia Motorway)

• By Coach: 40 minutes from Estación Sur Coach Station (Méndez Álvaro).

• By Train: 40 minutes on the Cercanías commuter train from Atocha Station and on the Strawberry Train that travels the route between Madrid and Aranjuez, recreating the first rail trip of the Community of Madrid.

For further information: Real Sitio Council and Villa Aranjuez