{"id":25314,"date":"2024-02-25T10:11:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T09:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=25314"},"modified":"2024-02-16T11:28:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T10:28:54","slug":"parque-del-retiro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/spain\/madrid\/parque-del-retiro\/","title":{"rendered":"Parque del Retiro – Madrid’s green oasis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We love to discover the green oases during our tours through a city. Parque del Retiro on the eastern edge of Madrid’s city center is definitely one of the city’s most impressive parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What could be nicer than sitting on a bench in the shade, listening to the birds and looking out over a lake? Here we can process the impressions of a city tour and plan new destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this is only possible after we have explored the Parque del Retiro, which is even on the UNESCO World Heritage List (under the name Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, Landscape of Arts and Sciences).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kristallpalast<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A park is created for the king<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the reign of Philip II, the gardens of the Buen Retiro palace complex were located on a gentle hill near a monastery. Gaspar de Guzm\u00e1n, Count of Olivares, Duke of Sanl\u00facar and one of the city’s leading politicians, had the buildings and gardens redesigned from 1632. The architects and landscape designers were commissioned to create a Baroque complex that was to include the artificial lake Estanque del Retiro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main user of the park was the king at the time, who resided there in a palace, especially during the warmer months. The citizens of Madrid only had access to a limited area of the park. When the royal family moved to the new Palacio Real, the park lost its importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Springbrunnen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the Napoleonic Wars, the palace building within the park was looted and destroyed. It was not rebuilt. In 1819, the Museo del Prado was built on the foundations of the unfinished Natural History Museum to the west of the palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A park for the people is created<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 1868, after the fall of Queen Isabella II, the city of Madrid took over the grounds of the park and planned to rebuild it. A public park, which was to be fully accessible to the population, was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Retiro-Park\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This was followed by reconstruction work, during which only the remains of the royal park and its buildings, such as the artificial lake Estanque del Retiro and the Baroque parterre behind the Puerta Felipe IV with what is probably the oldest tree in Madrid, were preserved. The oldest tree in the city is probably the 627-year-old olive tree, which dates back to around 1396. The seedling was planted in one of the areas near the entrance gate Puerta del \u00c1ngel Ca\u00eddo and today there is a stately tree there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Retiro-Park<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1883, the city used the Parque del Retiro for national exhibitions. During these events, new buildings were also constructed, such as the Palacio de Vel\u00e1zquez and the Palacio de Cristal. A few years later, a uniform fence was built around the park, which could now be entered through impressive portals. This fencing has been preserved to this day and the gates still exist. To keep the park quiet and peaceful at night, they are locked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n