Retiro Parc

The Parque del Buen Retiro is located behind the Prado Museum in Madrid. It is the perfect place for a relaxing stroll after visiting the biggest museum in the world. This park is a lush green paradise right in the city centre. Originally it was the exclusive domain of royals. This was back when the city was small and the park was on its outskirts. Buen Retiro translates as pleasant retreat, namely because of the intense royal interest in it. At first the nobles only came here at Easter and Christmas. King Philip III later commissioned development of Royal Gardens on this site. Today, many lanes and plazas in the park bear the names of Spanish-speaking communities, such as Plaza Panama, Paseo Venezuela, Plaza de Nicaragua and Paseo Bolivia.
We will now proceed to give you a virtual tour of this charming park. A convenient place to start is around the middle. Here is the Estanque, the original lake of the park. You can rent boats and drift gently on the lake on a lazy, languid afternoon. Moving toward the east, there is the Avenida Menédez y Pelayo, named after Marcelino Menédez y Pelayo, a well known Spanish chronicler. To the north you will find Calle de Alcalá, Plaza de La Independencia and the Puerta de Alcalá. This last attraction was commissioned by King Carlos III in the late 18th century. Its design was to improve the appearance of eastern Madrid. It did that and more, becoming nothing short of a symbol in this region of the city. It is very famous to this day and stands in the lively Plaza de La Independencia.
You will find Calle de Alfonso XII in the western part of the Buen Retiro. Alfonso XII, son of Queen Isabella II, was the Spanish king in the second half of the 19th century.
Other landmarks in the park are Palacio de Velázquez, The Palacio de Cristal and El Angel Caído. Palacio de Velázquez, completed in 1884, is a venue for temporary exhibits today. In the past it was a national museum of industrial history. Palacio de Cristal's name alone should tell you something - its design is based on London's Crystal Palace. Today it is also a centre for temporary exhibits. Initially it was used to display exotic flora during the Philippines Exhibition.
El Angel Caído is the best known statue in the park and perhaps in Madrid. Its name translates as Fallen Angel. It is absolutely unique - there is no other statue of the devil in Europe.
Other landmark structures and lanes in the region are Puerta Murillo, Puerta Felipe IV and Puerta de la Reina Mercedes. The first was named after famous Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, who lived in the 17th century. The second and the third are named after two Spanish royals - Philip IV and Queen Dona Maria de las Mercedes de Orleans. She was the queen of Alfonso XII, but died only six months after her coronation. Her life has inspired many poems and songs.
Retiro is undoubtedly the most famous park in the city. It sprawls over 300 acres in the prestigious Jeronimos quarter. It is much larger that New York City's Central Park. Retiro was opened to the public under a state decree of 1868. The park also features a rose garden, and street shows and theatres on occasion.
There was once a royal palace here, but all that's left is the Army Museum and the Casón Del Buen Retiro. The most famous item on display at the museum is a sword, which allegedly belonged to legendary Spaniard El Cid.
The Forest of the Departed is a touching sight to behold. This is a monument in the Retiro, dedicated to those who perished in the terrorist bombings on March 11, 2004.