Page 303 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

BOURBON M ADRID  301

p Parque del Retiro s Estación de
Map 8 E3. Tel 91 530 00 41.  Retiro, Atocha
Ibiza, Atocha. Open 6am–10pm Plaza del Emperador Carlos V. Map 8
(Apr–Oct: 6am–midnight). 7 D5. Tel 902 32 03 20.  Atocha
The Retiro Park, in Madrid’s RENFE. Open 5am–1am daily. 7
∑ renfe.com
smart Jerónimos district, takes
its name from Felipe IV’s royal Madrid’s first railway service,
palace complex, which once from Atocha to Aranjuez, was
stood here. Today, all that is left inaugurated in 1851. Forty
of the palace is the Casón del years later Atocha station was
Buen Retiro (see p296) and the replaced by a new building,
Salón de Reinos (see p291). which was extended in the 1980s.
Used privately by the royal The older part, built of glass and
family from 1632, the park wrought iron, now houses an
became the scene of elaborate indoor palm garden. Next to it
pageants, bullfights and mock is the terminus for high­speed
naval battles. In the 18th cen­ Statue of Bourbon King Carlos III in the Real AVE trains to Seville, Toledo,
tury it was partially opened to Jardín Botánico Córdoba, Zaragoza, Lleida,
the public, provided visitors Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia,
were formally dressed, and a Real Jardín Valladollid and France (see p628).
in 1869 it was fully opened. Botánico The Ministerio de Agricultura,
To day, the Retiro remains one opposite, is a splendid late
of the most popular places for Plaza de Murillo 2. Map 8 D4. 19th­century building.
relaxing in Madrid. Tel 91 420 30 17.  Atocha, Banco
A short stroll from the park’s de España. Open 10am–dusk daily.
Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec. & 7
northern entrance down the ∑ rjb.csic.es
tree­lined avenue leads to the
pleasure lake, where rowing South of the Prado (see pp296–9),
boats can be hired. On one and a suitable place for resting
side of the lake is a half­moon after visiting the gallery, are
colonnade in front of which an the Royal Botanical Gardens.
equestrian statue of Alfonso XII Inspired by Carlos III, they were
rides high on a column. Oppo­ designed in 1781 by Gómez
site, portrait painters and Ortega, Francesco Sabatini and
fortune­tellers ply their trade. Juan de Villanueva, architect of
To the south of the lake are the Prado.
two palaces. The Neo­Classical Interest in the plants of South
Palacio de Velázquez and the America and the Philippines
Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace) took hold during the Spanish
were built by Velázquez Bosco Enlightenment (see p66), and
in 1883 and 1887 respectively the neatly laid out beds offer
and regularly hold contemp­ a huge variety of flora, ranging Entrance of Madrid’s Estación de Atocha,
orary art exhibitions. from trees to herbs. busy with travellers

Monument of Alfonso XII (1901), facing the Retiro’s boating lake

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