16th–18th centuries. One of the oldest examples of industrial architecture in Europe. Founded in 1583 by Philip II to the designs and under the supervision of Juan de Herrera. Spain’s first mechanised mint, as a hydraulic system of vertical wheels driven by water power activated modern machinery, the ‘ingenios’, which perfected the coin-striking process.

Following its restoration, it houses the Royal Mint Museum on the history of coinage techniques, with a bookshop specialising in numismatics and the sale of antique coins, a temporary exhibition hall, a romantic-style garden known as the King’s Garden, and the Acueducto Interpretation Centre with audiovisual resources.