It was founded by Philip II and designed by Juan de Herrera. It currently houses two museums: the Mint Museum and the Aqueduct Visitor Centre.

Located beside the Eresma River and the Alcázar palace, it is the oldest example of industrial architecture still existing in Spain. It operated as a Royal Mint between 1586 and 1869, and still conserves its hydraulic infrastructure intact, with a dam in the Eresma river. Part of the hydraulic system is on display in the outdoor courtyard, alongside the reproduction of the wooden channels and hydraulic wheels which today –as in the 16th century– move the ironworks.

The Aqueduct Visitor Centre is a more interactive and multimedia space with information on the 2000 years of history of this monument, awarded the World Heritage designation by the UNESCO.