Fit for A King

What is it about royal palaces that make them so fascinating? Is it the opulent beauty? The vast expanses of space? The history of the buildings themselves and all that has occurred within their walls?

I suppose all of these draw me in. So, when I was researching a location for my palace intrigue story in Greed Comes for Goya, the Palace of Aranjuez seemed like the perfect place. The Spanish royal family and all their courtiers have been enjoying this palace, located near Madrid, every spring for centuries. Looking at photos of this amazing setting certainly fired up my imagination. Can’t you just picture all those aristocrats running around in their satin breeches and lace mantillas?

One of the things I love most about this structure is the way it combines so many different architectural styles. Inside and out, we can see elements of Rococo, Elizabethan, Neoclassical, and French Baroque, not to mention hints of Chinese and Moorish design. King Carlos III, who is one of the characters in my story, was responsible for creating many of the most lavish and exotic interior rooms.

Given how fabulous the palace gardens are, I wanted to make them an important part of the book, too. Modeled after Versailles, the royal gardens feature dozens of species of trees, flowers, and other plants interspersed with water features, fountains, and statues portraying characters from Greek mythology. The Island Garden and the Prince’s Garden are just two of the many individual “rooms” within the palace grounds.

The palace and gardens were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. So, if you happen to be in Madrid, I’m thinking the Palace of Aranjuez is worth a side trip.