La Granjilla de La Fresneda de El Escorial, Royal Park and heritage site near El Escorial, Spain.
La Granjilla de La Fresneda de El Escorial is a royal estate with gardens, artificial lakes, and a sophisticated water system from the 16th century. The grounds connect the water basins through channels and conduits that transport water from a nearby river to different areas of the property.
King Philip II commissioned this retreat between 1561 and 1569 as a private getaway next to El Escorial Monastery. The architect Juan Bautista de Toledo designed the estate, with a Dutch water specialist later creating the irrigation system.
The gardens show how the Spanish royal family combined nature with recreation, featuring open meadows alongside terraced planting areas and small buildings. Visitors can still see how this place was used for relaxation and walks.
The grounds are walkable and feature original stone walls and historic water channels that you can follow on foot. Wearing good shoes is helpful since the terrain can be uneven and paths go through grassy areas and along waterways.
A Dutch hydraulic engineer named Petre Janson designed the water system that carried water from the nearby Aulencia river to the royal lakes. This clever network has worked for hundreds of years and shows the skill of early water engineering.
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