La Granja

Close to the province of Madrid from Segovia and sheltered by the montains. La Granja used to be chosen by several kings to stay and have a rest, Enrique IV had built a hermitage and a hunting lodge there. At the time of the discovery of America, spices were imported for the monarchy.
The bean is cultivated in this area for such a long time with a “savoir-faire” to have a great result beyond comparison. This vegetable was introduced by the french in La Granja to feed their animals. Isabelle de Farnesio wanted her pheasants to be feeded with this kind of bean.

It’s important to highlight the village of La Granja. A dam in La Granja supplied the aqueduct of Segovia in water, this edifice is important by its size and magnificence. King Felipe V built the Real Palace of San Ildefonso in the XVIIIth century. This king native to France,was nostalgic of the “Palais de Versaille”, which motivated him to built this luxury palace.

Palacio de La Granja (cc) Toni Castillo