This is an enormous green area covering 1,722 hectares, located just outside of Madrid. The property, located opposite a projection over the Manzanares River, had belonged to the noble Vargas family. Philip II acquired it, including a mansion and the land, in around 1560 or 1561. He later converted it into a Renaissance villa for private rather than official use, and surrounded it with beautiful gardens, a reflection of his tastes. Documented descriptions and remnants of structures have made it possible to recreate a place whose Mannerist style can be identified through its typical elements: grottoes, mazes, giochi d'acqua (concealed jets of water to spray unsuspecting visitors), etc., located in a veritable oasis surrounded by dense trees, which were planted at that time.