The magic of Jardín Botánico

Real Jardín Botánico is associated with nature, peacefulness and tranquility. It is an idyllic and secluded place where you can rest and take a break away from the hustle and bustle of Madrid. Madrid is a city with great contrasts and we can see this in Jardín Botánico which is a very different place from the busy street nearby that is called Paseo del Prado. We have already talked about another place full of charm in Madrid which is called Barrio de las Letras. Today, we will take a walk in Jardín Botánico and we invite you to join us.

Jardín Botánico

SPANISH HISTORY INSIDE A GARDEN

The history of Jardín Botánico dates back two hundred years. It is a lovely place full of nature in the middle of Madrid. Here, you can enjoy yourself and you can also relax if you are stressed.

Jardín Botánico

A few months ago, we took a walk in Quinta de los Molinos, and we mentioned how extraordinary it was to find such a peaceful spot in the middle of a great city. We can say the same thing about Jardín Botánico. This garden was founded in 1755 by king Fernando VI. However, it was not moved to its current location till 1781 by king Carlos III.

Jardín Botánico

The layout consisted of three terraced gardens amounting to ten hectares of land. The two bottom terraces are now still intact, whereas the top one was remodeled in the XIX century. Jardín Botánico was especially built to receive all the new species of plants that the Spanish royal scientific expeditions brought back. Thus, it became one of the most important botanical gardens in Europe. The high society of Madrid used to go there frequently to take a walk and to relax.

Jardín Botánico

VEGETATION AND PLANTS FROM THE FIVE CONTINENTS

The top terraced garden underwent remodelling at the end of the XIX century. At that time, there also existed a zoo. Later on, it was moved to what became known as Casa de las Fieras. Nowadays, it is called Jardines de Cecilio Rodriguez. When the Ministry of Agriculture and the street called Cuesta de Moyano were built, the land of Jardín Botánico was reduced to eight hectares, which is its current size.

Jardín Botánico

We must mention that in 1886 a cyclone damaged Jardín Botánico wreaking havoc on more than 500 very valuable trees. At present, it is calculated that there are more than 5.000 different species of plants and trees from all over the world. You can see plant exhibitions in four different places there: los Cuadros, Escuelas Botánicas, Cuadro de la Flor and los Laureles. You can also visit an important herbarium as well as a large botanic library. It is wonderful to stroll along Jardín Botánico every season of the year. However, autumn is our favourite season because of the beautiful colours of its vegetation. Due to this, why don´t we organise a visit soon? You have more information in the official webpage of Jardín Botánico.

Jardín Botánico

A SONG THAT WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY

In 1982, the group from Madrid, Radio Futura, recorded one of their best songs: “La Estatua del Jardín Botánico”. This song was inspired in the place we have just talked about and it has had many interpretations. Here we show you the video clip which, funnily enough, was the first one made in Spain:

Pictures 01, 04, 05 and 06: Manuel Martín

Picture 02: Victoria Rachitzky

Picture 03: Jacinta Lluch

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