World Heritage Towns and villages in Madrid
If you are spending part of your holidays in Madrid apart from getting to know the city you can take mini breaks to some of the towns and villages of the Madrid Region (not just the Capital). Today we are taking you along on a little route for those of them that are granted World Heritage distinction.
World Heritage Towns and villages in Madrid
The world heritage distinction is granted by Unesco, for all of those sites that have special characteristics historical values that make them unique in the world . We have 44 listed sites in Spain.
There are three monumental and historical towns in Madrid granted World Heritage by Unesco.
Alcalá de Henares, declared World Heritage
The Town of Alcalá de Henares, it’s university and old town city centre were granted as World heritage by Unesco in 1988. We are in the town considered to be the first in the world to have a university built and designed with the same rules and principles that still apply today.
The place of birth of Miguel de Cervantes has a lot to offer such as : the baptismal font of the mentioned writer in the Oidor Chapel or the house were he lived (now a museum) , the arqueology Musueum, the Complutum ruins and the Hippolytus house (Ancient Rome )
Aranjuez, world heritage cultural landscape
Hidden in the plain formed by the Jarama and Vega rivers the beautiful town of Aranjuez appears , granted by Unesco the distinction of world heritage cultural landscape in 2001. Aranjuez was the first place of residence of the Borbones; we recommend you to visit the Royal Palace and its gardens as well as the Royal Faluas (small type of boat) Museum, The Casa Del Labrador (the ploughman’s house) as well as the incredible scenery found alongside river Tajo.
The Escorial, Monastery and World Heritage Monument
On the Guadarrama Mountains skirts, lays the Monastery os San Lorenzo of Escorial. Declared world Heritage Monument by Unesco in 1984 , the monastery offers the visitors the possibility to enjoy an architectural impressive legacy .
The Royal summer residence, was built under Felipe II reigned to commemorate the Battle of Saint Quentin. As well as the Monumental Basilica you can not miss the Royal Pantheon, the capitulation Rooms, the Infantes (little princes and princesses) Pantheon, the Royal Library, and the Architecture and Art Museum that holds amongst others pieces by Velázquez, Veronés, El Greco, Tiziano, Luca Giordano, El Bosco, Zurbarán or Tintoretto.