La Granjilla de La Fresneda de El Escorial facts for kids
La Fresneda, also called La Granjilla, is a beautiful park in El Escorial, Community of Madrid, Spain. It was built between 1561 and 1569. This park was the private Royal Park for King Philip II. It is located near the famous Monastery of El Escorial.
History of La Granjilla
In 1561, King Philip II made two big decisions. He chose Madrid to be the capital city of Spain. At the same time, he picked a spot on the Abantos mountain, in the Sierra de Guadarrama. This was where he wanted to build a large monastery. This monastery is known as the Monastery of El Escorial.
The king also asked Juan Bautista de Toledo to design a Royal Park. This park was built in La Fresneda, a village near El Escorial. La Granjilla was planned to be like the opposite of the serious Monastery. It was a place for relaxation and nature.
Other people helped with the park's design. These included Gaspar de Vega, Juan de Herrera, and Pedro de Tolosa. Fray Marcos de Cardona and Petri Jansen also played important roles.
What You Can Find at La Granjilla
La Granjilla de La Fresneda is located at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. It is a special place with many different parts. These include beautiful gardens and artificial lakes. There was also a large area for hunting. Dry stone walls separate the different sections of the park.
Fray Marcos de Cardona, a monk, was the main gardener for the Royal Gardens. Petre Janson, an expert from the Netherlands, helped create the five Royal Lakes. Both of them worked under the guidance of King Philip II and Juan Bautista de Toledo.
The highest and largest pond gets its water from the Aulencia river. This big pond then supplies water to the other three lakes. It also provides water to the entire park. This was done using a clever system of dams and waterways. This water system was very advanced for its time.
The Royal Gardens at La Granjilla are very special. They are unique examples of Spanish Renaissance gardens. They were not just pretty gardens. They also grew food and special plants for medicine. These gardens are important when compared to other famous royal gardens of the past.
La Granjilla de La Fresneda has won an important award. It received the International Carlo Scarpa Award. This award was given for how well the historical gardens are managed and kept.
Many important building projects were designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera. These included La Casa de Campo in Madrid and La Granjilla. They also designed El Canal del Escorial. This canal brought water to the Monastery. Another project was La Cacera de La Granjilla. This aqueduct fed the ponds at La Granjilla from the Aulencia river. These projects were part of a huge plan. They created a network of water systems and other improvements. These stretched from Madrid all the way to the mountains.
See also
- El Escorial
- Valle de los Caídos
- Imperial Route of the Community of Madrid
In Spanish: La Granjilla de La Fresneda para niños
