Aranjuez - Jardín del Príncipe

In addition to a number of fountains and the many exotic plants the most notable feature is the Casa del Labrador, at the end of Calle de la Reina, at the eastern tip of the garden. This charming little palace, consisting of a main block and two side wings, was built for Charles IV in 1803 by Isidro González Velázquez. The facade is decorated with statues of ancient heroes. The principal features of the sumptuous interior, decorated in Louis XVI and Empire style, are the grand staircase, the billiard room, the Sculpture Gallery, the Great Saloon, the Sala de María Luisa and the Gabinete de Platina.

The Casa de Marinos, in a bend on the Tagus within the Jardín del Príncipe, is a boathouse containing six royal barges, the most magnificent of which are Charles IV's barge, with painted decoration by Maella, Alfonso XII's mahogany boat and Philip V's felucca, presented to him by a Venetian noble.