RETIRO PARK

Description

Essentials about the Retiro Park in brief

Madrid is famous for its many city parks. However, the undisputed highlight among the green spaces of the Spanish capital is Retiro Park (sp. “Parque del Buen Retiro”). With more than 15,000 trees, including the oldest tree in the city, beautiful avenues lined with flower beds, a large rose garden, a picturesque lake, and countless statues and fountains, Retiro Park is certainly one of the most beautiful city parks in all of Europe. In addition, it also offers the Madrileneans and tourists countless cultural, recreational and sports opportunities.

The history of the Retiro Park

Retiro Park originated from the gardens of the Buen Retiro (Beautiful Refuge) palace complexes, which were created during the reign of King Philip II around the Hieronymite monastery of San Jeronimo el Real, which was built on a gentle hill from 1458 to 1505. From 1632 to 1640, the Conde-Duque Olivares commissioned Cosimo Lotti, the designer of the famous Boboli Gardens in Florence, to transform the gardens into a large Baroque complex complete with an artificial lake. From then on, the king resided here during Lent and during unusually hot periods. The common public had access only to parts of the park. After the court moved to the new Royal Palace in 1764, the Buen Retiro complex became less important.

During the Napoleonic Wars, the palace was severely damaged by artillery fire in 1808 and subsequently looted. Most of the remains of the palace were demolished and the site built over. After the fall of Queen Isabella II in 1868, the park came into the possession of the city, which now opened it entirely to the public, expanded it and turned it into a popular park with national aspirations. The only remains of the royal park and its buildings are the artificial lake Estanque del Retiro and the baroque parterre behind the Puerta Felipe IV, with probably the oldest tree in Madrid, an ahuehuete planted in 1633.

The attractions in Retiro Park

Palacio de Velázquez and Palacio de Cristal

The park became the site of national exhibitions from 1883. The two beautiful exhibition buildings Palacio de Velázquez and Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), were built in the period of 1883 and 1887 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. Today they are branches of the Museo Reina Sofía, where temporary exhibitions are held or art installations are shown.

The Monument to King Alfonso XII

On the eastern edge of the lake, in 1902 José Grases Riera erected the Monument to King Alfonso XII of Spain in the form of a national monument. In the middle of a semicircular portico at the jetty, the equestrian statue of the king by Mariano Benlliure rises on a high piedestal, surrounded by allegorical figures of life and work in peace and freedom. Completed in 1922, it became the emblem of the park.

The Angel Caído statue

Definitely a special feature among fountains and statues of Retiro Park is the so-called “Angel Caído” (“Fallen Angel”), one of the very few sculptural representations of the devil (and that in Catholic Spain, of all places). The statue was created in 1877 by Madrid sculptor Ricardo Bellver and placed in the park in 1885 as a fountain ornament. It depicts the expulsion of Lucifer from the Garden of Eden.

Paseo de la Argentina

And if you can’t get enough of statues, you should stroll along the Paseo de la Argentina. The path is also known as the “Statue Walk” – and not without reason, as it is lined with a multitude of 18th century statues representing Spain’s nobility.

Sports and leisure facilities in Retiro Park

Retiro Park is not only a popular sight among tourists, but also enjoys great popularity among the Madrileneans themselves. Especially on weekends, the park is crowded by numerous residents and especially families. Around the Estanque del Retiro, several open-air cafés offer refreshments. And on the main paths of the park, musicians, jugglers, magicians, painters and puppeteers entertain park visitors.

Retiro Park’s sports and recreational activities range from biking or skating on the many trails to boating on the Estanque Grande. Families with children will enjoy the park’s many playgrounds and the Teatro de Títeres, a puppet theater unique in Europe.