Fit for A King

Three hundred breathtaking rooms. Two hundred and seventy-five acres of exquisite gardens. And it's all yours to see.

The Spanish royal family and all their courtiers have been enjoying the Palace of Aranjuez, located near Madrid, every spring for centuries, and you can easily imagine you're one of them when you visit this historic site.

You're probably drawn to royal palaces like I am, although I can't really say why. What is so appealing about them? Is it the opulent beauty? The vast expanses of space? The history of the buildings themselves and all that has occurred within their walls?

All I can say is that when I was researching a location for my palace intrigue story in Goya In the Palace of Greed, the Palace of Aranjuez seemed like the perfect place. Looking at photos of this amazing setting certainly fired up my imagination, as I hope they will for you.

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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 this cozy mystery, 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.

Now that you've seen the palace, can’t you just picture all those aristocrats running around in their satin breeches and lace mantillas?

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.

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Discover more: If you'd like to learn more about Goya's life and art, you'll find plenty of books about him. My two favorites are Goya: His Life & Works in 500 Images by Susie Hodge and Goya by the incomparable Robert Hughes.