Editing Aranjuez (section)

===Development as Royal Site===
[[File:Palacio Real de Aranjuez.jpg|thumb|left|[[Royal Palace of Aranjuez]]]]
[[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]] declared the place a Royal Site in 1560.<ref name=expansion /> In the second half of the 16th century, the [[Palacio Real de Aranjuez|royal palace]] was constructed and the name of the enlarged settlement was changed from ''Alpajes'' to ''Aranjuez''. The site was initially designed by [[Juan Bautista de Toledo]] and completed by [[Juan de Herrera]]. Aranjuez was extensively redesigned in the 18th century by [[Santiago Bonavía]].

In 1752, during the reign of [[Ferdinand VI of Spain|Ferdinand VI]], Aranjuez, which was previously [[closed city|reserved]] for the royal family, nobles of the royal court and palace servants started to be opened providing overnight accommodation for visitors, who had previously been obliged to lodge in nearby settlements such as Ocaña.

The [[weir]] in the [[Tagus]] River which is alongside to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez was constructed in 1753 to power a [[water wheel]] for milling [[wheat flour]]. Since the mill was visible from the palace, it was architecturally attractive and sometimes used as the residence of the town governor. 

King [[Charles III of Spain|Carlos III]] built the so-called Long Bridge (about 300m long) over the [[Jarama]] in 1761.

In 1763 Charles III, a keen [[Physiocracy|physiocrat]] ordered the construction of [[Real Cortijo de San Isidro]], a [[model farm]] which was abandoned by his successor (his second son, [[Charles IV of Spain]]) and later commercialized. Two years later the king ordered the construction of the [[Franciscan]] [[Convento de San Pascual, Aranjuez|Convent of San Pascual]], later occupied by the [[Conceptionists]].

The French architect [[Jaime Marquet]] began construction of the theatre Coliseum Carlos III in 1767.

[[File:Caída y prisión del Príncipe de la Paz.JPG|thumb|left|''Fall and imprisonment of [[Manuel Godoy|the Prince of Peace]]'' (1808 Mutiny of Aranjuez) by Francisco de Paula Martí and [[Zacarías González Velázquez|Zacarías Velázquez]] in 1814.]]
An uprising, the so-called [[Mutiny of Aranjuez]], took place on 17 March 1808 when the royal family and the government were staying at Aranjuez on their way south, as they were anticipating a French invasion from the north. Soldiers, peasants and members of the general public assaulted [[Manuel Godoy]]'s quarters and captured him. The mutineers made Charles dismiss Godoy, and two days later, the court forced the King himself to abdicate in favour of his son and rival, who became Ferdinand VII.