Many municipalities in the Community of Madrid celebrate their local festivals during the first weeks of September, and since 2014, the festival in one of them has held International Tourist Festival status. The Aranjuez Uprising Festival will take place from September 2 to 6 and will feature, among other activities, concerts, a period market, and historical reenactments.
Other street markets in the Community of Madrid have medieval or Baroque themes, but the one in Aranjuez is set in a later era: that of the painter Francisco de Goya, who lived from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century. The 16th Goyesque Market will be held from September 3 to 6 along the side paths of the Jardín de Isabel II and in the El Brillante area.
The Goya-themed fair, organized by Carpetana Mercados Temáticos in collaboration with the Aranjuez City Council and National Heritage, will open on Thursday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. and remain open until midnight. On September 4, 5, and 6, it will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to midnight.
As Carpetana Mercados Temáticos announces on its website, the market will feature “activities for the whole family, ”including both period-themed musical performances and entertainment, as well as historical reenactments.
At the market stalls, visitors can witness demonstrations of traditional crafts and find a selection of artisan products and traditional cuisine. Additionally, on the days the Goya-themed market is held in the Garden of Isabel II, key historical episodes that took place in Aranjuez during the early 19th century will be reenacted in other parts of the town.
The Historical Reenactments of the Aranjuez Uprising Festival
During the Motín Festival, the town’s residents will dig out their period costumes from their closets to storm Godoy’s house. Although Charles IV’s favorite has not lived in his palace in Aranjuez for more than two centuries, for the past thirty years the town’s residents have symbolically reenacted the uprising that took place in this Madrid town in 1808 and resulted in Godoy’s arrest, the abdication of Charles IV, and the accession of Ferdinand VII to the throne.
The historical reenactments will begin on Friday, September 4, at 9:30 p.m. with the storming of Godoy’s house. The mutineers (and anyone who wants to join them) will set out from the Plaza de la Constitución, passing through Stuart and Príncipe streets, to the former Godoy Palace.
On Saturday , September 5, at 10:00 p.m. , a reenactment of the Aranjuez uprising will take place in the Plaza de Parejas, in front of the Royal Palace, where more than 170 local residents will reenact the story recounted in Galdós’s *Episodios Nacionales* about the palace intrigues surrounding the popular uprising, the fall of Godoy and Charles IV, and the rise of Ferdinand VII (before both renounced the throne in the Bayonne abdications).
Other activities during the Aranjuez festivities
On Sunday, September 6, the 45th edition of the Pirate Descent of the Tagus will take place, and participants will parade in themed boats along the river. This is not a race; the ten prizes will be awarded to the boats that the jury deems the most creative and original. The descent will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will cover the stretch of river between the former Puente Colgante and the Puente de Barcas.
Residents and visitors to Aranjuez will also be able to enjoy several free concerts throughout the Fiestas del Motín. In addition to orchestras and DJ sets, the festival lineup is headlined by La Pegatina, Coti, and Jaime Urrutia (a former member of Gabinete Caligari), who will perform between Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5.