Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso

La Granja de San Ildefonso located 11 Km from Segovia and approximately 77 Km from Madrid. It began construction during the reign of Felipe V, when he purchased the land, houses and hermitages owned by the Jerónimos monks.

The entirety of the works was not completed until the time of Carlos III who acquired and added to the then existing adjoining properties.

The Royal Palace is a monumental building of severe architecture. It has an elongated rectangular shape with four double wings parallel to each other, in the centre of which the original monastery guesthouse still exists. The main façade measures 155 metres in length and 13 in height and features a beautiful entrance crowned by an attic with the four seasons in the form of caryatids. The rear façade faces the palace square, further ahead is the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity, which is in the shape of a Latin cross and houses innumerable artistic treasures inside.

The vaults are painted in fresco by Bayeu and Maella, but only The Four Evangelists remain due to the fires of 1918 and 1945. In the sacristy, there were paintings by Alonso Cano and Murillo. The Pantheon, a work by the sculptor Demanche, whose entrance is located to the left of the high altar, houses the remains of Felipe V and Isabel de Farnese.

The most important feature of this royal site is the Gardens, dedicated to Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting and the moon, where the classic French style was adopted. Featuring incredible specimens of trees and shrubs, flowers and plants, as well as mythological sculptures crafted by Renato Fermin or Juan Thierry, in addition to beautiful fountains that make the place a true Eden. If that were not enough, there is an entertaining hedge maze that transports visitors to magical places of legend.

To visit The Queen's Parcels, The Apothecary Garden and the Fish Farm, you must contact the National Heritage. It includes twenty-six ornamental fountains. Of these, only eight have their water features in operation.