Jardini Sabatini in Madrid

Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens) have their own charm, including the fact that they are a part of the Royal Palace's premises. Located in the western urban part of Madrid, these gardens cover about 2.5 hectares beside the Palace on site of former stables. The Sabatini Gardens honour the name of Francesco Sabatini, an 18th- century Italian architect who contributed his work to the development of the Royal Palace. The garden, laid out on the site of Carlos III’s stables, designed by Sabatini himself, was constructed in the 1930s.

After a contest of gardening projects, the best one chosen was the one offered by the architect Fernando Mercadal. The garden was built and put into the green system of the city in 1933 with the proclamation of the Second Republic. This jewel of gardening was closed to the public until the late 1970s when King Juan Carlos I decided to open it for Madrid’s citizens to enjoy. In 1972, the Sabatini Gardens were reconstructed and the monumental stairs were added to the site; they divide the structure into three terraces with well-manicured parterres. The gardens are a tranquil and beautiful place, adorned with a pool, statues and fountains, with bushes and trees arranged in symmetrical geometric shapes.