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Buen Retiro Park
http://www.madridtourist.info/buen_retiro_park.htmlAbout
Buen Retiro Park The Buen Retiro Park ("Park of the Pleasant Retreat", in english) is the first biggest park of Madrid city.It has 1.4 km2 (350 acres) at the edge of the city center. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until thelate 19th century, when it became a public park.It's a magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events. History of the park: The park was born in 1630-1640, when Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, gave the king Philip IV several tracts of land in the vicinity for the Court's recreational use. Philip V (1700–1746) ordered the creation of a parterre, the only French-style garden in the complex. During the reign of Ferdinand VI, Buen Retiro was the setting for magnificent Italian operas.Charles III (1759–1788) saw to the beautification of its perimeter, replacing the old walls with elegant wrought-iron railings.Juan de Villanueva's Astronomical Observatory was built during the reign of Charles IV (1788–1808). The reign of Queen Isabella II saw profound changes in the "Retiro". During the queen's minority, the gardens enjoyed a particularly prosperous period, with the planting of shade and fruit trees, and previously unplanted areas like the "Campo Grande", were landscaped as well. El Retiro gradually became the green heart of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monument to Alfonso XII was erected next to the pond. Countless statues, fountains and commemorative monuments have filled the park and converted it into an open-air sculpture museum. The nineteen-thirties and forties witnessed the creation of new gardens.
