ARANJUEZ, a town of central Spain, 3om. S. of Madrid, on the Tagus, which above this receives few tributaries for a long distance, but here joins with the Jarama from the north, so this is the crossing point for the southern road and rail from Madrid. Pop. The vega or united flats of the two rivers is very large and fertile and forms a market garden for Madrid (especially for asparagus and strawberries). Part is pasture for royal brood-mares, and the Hippodrome is the "Epsom Downs" of Madrid. The Grand Masters of the Order of Santiago moved from Ocana (7m. S.E.) in the 14th century to this natural oasis. Their summer residence and the perpetual mastership passed to the crown in the 16th century, a succession of royal residences was built here, rivalling for a while the Escorial, Buen Retiro and San Ildefonso. Ferdinand VI. (1746-59) built the town, one of the few in Spain on a prearranged plan ; it was closely asso ciated with Charles IV. (1788-1808), for whom his father laid out the Jardin del Principe, and who built the Casa del Labrador (1803). Charles was forced to abdicate 0808).
See 0. Jiirgens, Die Spanische Stddte (Hamburg, 1926) .