El+parque+del+retiro

=El Parque del Retiro=

The Parque del Retiro is without doubt the most emblematic park of the city of Madrid, because of its huge size, its situation, in the center of Madrid, and especially because of its beauty and the amazing elements which compose it. Its origin starts in the ages of Felipe IV, when a initiative of his magestry the Conde-Duque de Olivares, a serie of lands are realized for the use and enjoyament of the real family and a serie of palaces, ponds, and gardens are built inside to the enjoyament of he kings, with the time the Parque del Retiro was extended and in fact elements which nowadays are found out of the parque del retiro as the “ Casón del Buen Retiro” or the “ Museo del Ejercito”. It mesures 118 ha ( 1,18 esquare meters ) but at first it mesure was 145 ha. Actually is one of he most beautiful places in the world and is one of the places where you can visit important expositions of art ( two of its palaces are used for the Museo de arte Reina Sofia for the realization of temporal expositions) go with the kids to see theaters of marionettes take a boat ride throught the pond, make a sighted to read our future or just have a rest in a bank or at the shadow of a tree.

Its parts are:
 * The Pond
 * The Estatue of the Fallen Angel
 * The Palace of Crystal
 * La Casa deVacas
 * The Rose Garden
 * The Statues Ride
 * The Monument of Alfonso XII
 * La Fuente de la Alcachofa

The Pond
Is one of the elements that still alive from the inauguration of El Parque del retiro in 1631, and is without doubt the most held element of the park, the most photographed and the most impresive, with the monument of Alfonso XII at its sea side being this one of the emblemetic cards of Madrid. Actually is the central elemnet of The Parque del Retiro ( not in its geographie) being without doubt the most visited place and the favourite of the visitors to walk around it. Inside it you can practice canoeing, or just take a boat ride. At its sea sides is possible to enjoy of alive perfonmances of a lot of street artists or just enjoy the festive and peace atmosphere giving something to eat to the ducks and the fish.



La Estatua del Angel Caido
The statue of the fallen angel is an unique statue in the world becuase is the only monument in the world dedicated to the devil. The image represents the moment in which Lucifer is expulsed from the paradise and condemned to hell whih a snake rolled around his neck. The estatue ocupies its place from 1855, in the same place where until 1813 was situated the porcelain fabrics china destroid in this year in the war of independence. It was realized in 1877 by Ricardo Bellver comissioned by the duque Fernando Nuñez and placed in the square that now recived its name, the Square of the Fallen Angel in 1885.

El Palacio de Cristal
Situated at sea side of a little but a beautiful pond. The Palace of Crystal was built in 1887 as a greenhouse to realized an exposition about Fillipinas ( they brought animals, plants, and even they stablihed an indian town in the park). Once the exposition was finished it was decided to keep the building, being in fact the most beatiful building of the park. Actually the Palace of Crystal is used as headquarters for the realization of expositions organized by the center of art Reina Sofia.

It´s named like that because when it was built in 1874 it was built for the use as dairy and office of milk. Even in the XX century the Cow house was transformed to be used as room of parties and place of sexual contact with the name of “ pavillon”. Later, a fire destroid it almost completly, the city council rebuild it to be used as headquarter of expositions and celebartions of diferent performances and events, nowadays one of the most important enclaves of The Parque del Retiro.

The Rose Garden
 Was an encharge of the last mayor, Carlos Prats old gardener of the town, who was inspiren in the begatelle for its realization. The Rose garden name which was given in 1914, date of its realization, is one of the most bautiful places of the park obligatory visit place especially in spring-summer when the roses hatch with all its beauty being its contemplation a true plesure for the senses.

El Paseo de las Estatuas
The walk of the Argentina of the Retiro is populary known as the Statues Ride, because it is flanked by a serie of them dedicated to all the monarchs of Spain and comanded to do for the decoration of the royal palace of madrid, during the reing of fernando VI. At first the idea was that adorn the cornice of the palace .the statues were realized by various authors, under the direction of the esculptors of the court Domenico Oliveiri and Felipe de Castro.

The statues came to be placed on the ledge of the royal palace as can be seen in some graces of the time, but when Carlos IIIarrived to madrid the king give the order to take the statues out because he think that the palace was too baroque. Because of this reason they were situated in diferent places of the city. T

Monumento a Alfonso XII
The monument of Alfonso XII is the most impresive of all the enclosure, it was created by the architect Jose Grase Riera en 1922,but also other architects contibuted.At first the monument was created to seen in its interior. The huge number of sculptures need the work of a lot of work offices and it take 20 years to be finally built. It's amazing vision of the monument from the other side of the pond. Also many people take advantage of the shadow of the columns to sit at the feet of the set to read or rest.

la fuente de la alcachofa
Designed by Ventura Rodriguez and decorated with esculptures of Alfonso Giraldo Bergaz who realized the newts and the mermaid and of Antonio Primo, who designed the “almorcillos” and the artichoke. It was built in 1781 and situated in the Door of Atocha. It was traslated in the year 1880 by the archiect Jose Urioste to its new situation in the southwestern pond. The source is realized in limestone, being the artichoke of granite. The source is divided in two parts, the lower with the newts holding the madrid shield and the upper with four putti, and above the artichoke which give it its name, all in the center of a circular loaf.