l i :
The garden o f Ildqfonso is situated around a summer-house, or château de plaisance, of tliat name : and
here nature and art, says P . Caimo (Lettres d'un Vago Italiano, ¡kc.), combine to spread their respective
beauties, and render this garden as magnificent as agreeable. Fountains, jets d ’eau, canals, temples
covered seats, cabinets, bowers, grottoes, labyrinths, pastures, hedges of myrtle and laurel, are so
distributed as to produce th e best effect. The water is collected in streams from th e surrounding
mountains, und made to unite in a to rre n t which precipitates itself into an immense reservoir. Hence
from this abundant source, th e fountains are as powerful as numerous, and no species of artificial orna/
ment is omitted th a t can embellish a garden. The alleys are very long, some of them three fourths of a
league. Most of them are kept shorn on th e sides, forming a thick close surface from rei..-.-.re.re»rere »«.».rerei------ —Ire__ ________ 1___-lî_.___- the ®cround to the summits of the trees, and statues are placed a t regular distances.
The garden of Ildefonso occupies a ridge, rising to the south, and falling both to th e east and to the
west. Near the palace it is laid out in the old taste, with clipped hedges and straight walks, highly
adorned and refreshed with numerous fountains; but in proportion to th e distance it becomes more
W _ .. ...re.., re.. v..re..re».. re..re.rerej , rerei re >^»»111^4 llUl g lO O m y ; aU U ll II, UC UUC I)
beauty is founded on utility, this place will always deserve to be admired. In the present day, it is not
uncommon to build the mansion in the middle of a field, open and exposed to every wind without
shelter, without a fence, wholly unconnected with the garden. Near the habitation all is wild: and
art, if any where, appears only a t a distance. In all this we can trac e no utility, nor will succeeding
generations discover beauty. On the contrary, in the garden of Ildefonso, we find every thing which in
a sultry season is desirable; a free circulation of air, a deep shade and refreshing vapours to abate the
hea t ; while, from its contiguity to the mansion, th e access to it is easy, and a t any time these comforts
may be instantly enjoyed; yet without their numerous fountains, th e clipped hedges, and th e narrow
walks, th e circulation would be less rapid, th e shade less deep, and th e refreshing vapour would be
wanting. (Townsend's Travels in Spain, vol. i. p. 360.)
The gardens o f Ildcfonso, or L a Granja, L a Gasca tells us, are considered by many persons to be
superior to those of Versailles ; and what renders them most delightful, he observes is th eir fine
stately woods of lime, oak, elm, black poplar, aspen, horse-chestnuts, and other forest trees The
walks through these are completely shaded during summer, and th e air is agreeably cooled both by the
cascades of water which fall from the elevated summits of the high grounds, and by th e diversified play
of the numerous fountains. These circumstances, taken in connection with the natural beauty of the
situation, render th e whole a most enchanting spot. There is a kitchen-garden belonging to this residence,
and various nurseries for propagating fruit and forest trees ; th e la tte r for the purpose of replacing
th e decayed plants of th e gardens, and for giving away as presents. T h ere is also a flower-garden in
which arc cultivated various species of saxifrage, anemone, and ranunculus, which, being peculiar to
cold climates, cannot be cultivated in th e other royal grounds, nor even a t Madrid. T h ere also is
th e Erythrònium Dens cànis, and other northern bulbs. Among th e culinary vegetables and fruit for
th e royal household are th e red and common cabbage, broccoli, French beans without strings lettuce
&c. Of fruits, there are th e strawberry, raspberry, currant, and gooseberry; with many sorts’of pear’
apple, and plum, which deserve to be particularly noticed, on account of th e ir fine qualities, and of the
time.they are m season.
The royal gardens o f A ranjuez, L a Gasca tells us, are extensive and diversified. They are situated
_ J n e ro ya t sa ra e n s oj r a n ju e z ,La u asc a reus a .c
in a beautiful and fertile plain, through th e middle of which flows the rapid Tagus. The charms of
Aranjuez are of quite a different kind from those of L a Granja. T h e la tte r would have been beautiful if
th e aid of art had never been so u g h t; but th e former would never have been noticed if th e wealth of
th e kings of Spain had not been employed to make it a spot worthy of a palace. It is, however well
irrigated, and th e woods are remarkable for nightingales. T h e gardens in 1830 were in the most perfect
orde r. (In g lis 's S p a in in X m ).) ^
Of fhe palace and gardens o f Aranjuez, Baretti observes (T our in 1776, vol. ii.), “ th a t a poet would
say, th a t Venus and Love had here consulted with Catullus and Petrarch, in order to construct a
country residence worthy of Psyche, of Lesbia, of Laura, or of some infanta of Spain.” The park
which is several leagues in circumference, is intersected by alleys, th ree and even four miles in length •’
these alleys are formed of double rows of elms, and are sufficiently wide for four carriages to drive
abreast. On each side, between the rows of trees, is a canal kept clear by a continual stream which
iï
lasses through it. This water has contributed to render the trees of an enormous size and thick verdure
rom top to bottom. T h e compartments, or islands, formed by th e alleys and th e canals, are covered with
copse, and occupied with deer, wild boars, hares, rabbits, pheasants, partridges, and other wild animals
and birds, which are regularly fed by certain shepherds or attendants, and have incredibly multiplied
This park, like the garden of Eden, is divided by a river (the Tag u s); and, what is remarkable and
prince-like, it is without surrounding walls; but verges into an open hilly country. T h e palace
is near the centre of the park, on th e margin of the river, and both banks are united by a bridge of
five arches. In front of the palace is an immense circular level lawn, ornamented with four trees in its
centre. On the whole, according to Bare tti’s description, this must have been the finest park in the
old style iq the world.
502. Gardens at Madrid. Most of tho grandees and wealthy merchants in the city
have symmetrical pleasure-grounds, with greenhouses for keeping the tender plants
during winter. Among the most remarkable of these gardens may be mentioned the '
Alameda, which is embellished with fountains, basins, cascades, canals, statues, temples,
&c.' Tlie-Buen Retiro is, however, pcrhaps'the most remarkable garden within the walls
of the city, as it contains a menagerie. The public enjoy the privilege of walking in
part of these gai'dens, which are several acres in extent, though the other part is resented
exclusively for the recreation of the royal family.
503. Gardens o f Cadiz. A few years ago, says L a Gasca, Cadiz was an opulent city,
and supported, at great expense, many plcasm-e-gai'dens on the small space of land which
lies outside the Puerta de Tien-a. They have, however, all disappeared, and the principal
gardens now (1828) left in Cadiz, ai'c those of the convents, and some small but very
beautiful ones belonging to the hospital. In these latter, Musa sapiéntum produces well-
ripened fruit. L a Gasca states that in these gardens ai'O cultivated for ornament many
varieties of Capsicum frutéscens, cerasifórmc, microcárpon, &c., and the Clarista volubilis
of Abat, which Jussieu has called Arredera, a coiTuption of the Spanish word enredadera;
which is the general name used for all twining plants. There is in Cadiz quite a passion
for flowers, which is gratified, in some dcgi'ee, by the inhabitants of the city buying all
those brought from the gardens of Puerta del Santa Maria, with wliich they convert the
very roofs and balconies of their liouses into gardens. They cultivate in the open air
varioiis species of Mescmbryunthemum, Cactus, aud Pelargònium, with many bulbous
roots from Pera, Chile, and the Cape of Good Hope.
n f Chiclana, belong chiefly to th e merchants
o f Cadiz, and supply that city with abundance of flowers. In these gardens are cultivated manv of th e
u i S American plants already mentioned. La Gasca states th a t he saw in i S t“ o L e e s of
E ry th rln a ;ioianthes of Brotero, covered with blossoms and half ripened fru it which the eardeners
i l T r t produced great quantities of seed. Poinci^zza pulchérrima, Àdenanthèra R v o n ta a
Havannah called Afc/e), with other American plants, are also cultivated’
oOfl tchnee iiiniu/ sstirriioouLs c a o n e ra , perished in Cadiz. Ing aSradne nLsu tchaer cdoec Bhianreraalm wahdiac ht hhearde, idsu ar ivnegr vth eee iaebiisrence 3i-i>H
f S e i P/operty of the Marquis of Saravia, a Castilian noble, who
resides in Cadiz. It is ornamented with fountains and statues, and contains manv ra re exotics amona-
which are sorne small trees brought from th e East Indies in 1819. The favourite S v e r at^C^^
t*^roughout Spam, is th e pink (Dianthus), of which th e varieties are infinite : the lilac, anemone
ireTfi ’ basil, mirabel (Chenopòdium scopàrium), and various succulent plants, are also
greatly esteemed ; th e beautiful varieties of th e poppy are also well worthy admiration especially as
this plant may perhaps some d w form a profitable branch of Spanish husbandry. T h e cultivation of
^ e Mimósa pudica (which produces great quantities of seed in th e open air) isL so very general- the
Mimósa sensitiva is cultivated m some gardens. T h ere is no house without k few pots of A lex a n d rS /
laurel (iiuscus racemòsus) ; or garden in which th e sponge tree (*4càcia f a r n e s i à n a K S pM n ^ "—
called aromo (spice), is not found ; indeed, in th e south of Spain it is almosfwild. They Save
introduced many varieties of fruit trees, which formorlvwprp v.« „..IL.
504. The gardens o f Seville. As gi'eat a love of flowers prevails iu this city as in
Cadiz ; and this the traveller immediately perceives, fr-om the windows and balconies
bemg fiUed with pots of Amaryllis reginoe, Belladònna, and formosissima, Poliânthes
toberosa, Nai-cissus, tulips and other bulbs, yerba Luisa (Aloÿsta citriodôra P a ll)
Pélargonia, and Jasmineæ. Almost every house has a small flower-plot, and some have
rather large ones, as well within the city as at the country-houses in its neio-hbour-
hood. The walls of these villas are generally covered with oranges, lemons, Lifrons
and limes, aU entwined and mingled with each other ; but the grounds ai'e laid out
\n th great regularity, and are ornamented with fountains and statues, as are almost
all the gardens in the peninsula. In one garden L a Gasca saw, growing in the open
air, the Poinciana pulchérrima and A'brus precatorius ; and his friend and fellow-
professor, Don José Demetrio Rodriguez, told him that he had often seen frvo species
of 1 Imniena among the gardens of SeviUe. Tho gai'den of the royal palace is curious
from the capricious_ variety displayed in the foi-ms of the masses of shrubs and trees!
‘ In Seville, Captain Cook observes, “ the houses often occupy open spaces with
many
courts; and gardens in the oriental manner are seen within the walls ” ((Cook’s Cook’s T
vol. i. p. 129.) ' ^
Travels,
OMII uiiiuugu uu« wuuic Lucre is, a cnicK snaae oi orange and lemon trees. Every where around am sppY
dSissnpeerrsse/dd oovve//r! htl!m? ww!adlkk s andf beds shower crystal st^r eams suipmopnl et hmea cphaitnhesr, ya,n ad tahwoaukseann dn emwi nfur.t-eif pfii-piLesp
m th e flowers. T h e garden is surrounded h j a high wall, n ia r th e top of which there is i U l K
an arcade supported by innumerable pillars. (Inglis's Spain in 1830, vol. ii. p. 80.)
a pre tty village, remarkable for a neatness arid simplicity o f appearance
yery unusual m Spam: it is celebrated for th e fineness of its olives, and from its contienitv to .«spviIIp
ism u c h frequented by parties of th e inhabitants of th a t city, particulkrly “ m i lg ^T h e
beyond it, and which are scattered among the olive groves a t th e foot of the heights, are fe ry beautiful
and worth visiting, particularly one belonging to a nobleman of Seville. When visited bv Sir a ’
? p « /i/d h /th p T ® i a periect little paradise; and, notwithstanding its attractions were greatly
S d / f w ! ’ f hedges were coyered with roses, honeysuckles, yellow jasmines
and a variety of other plants. The pleasures, however, of a country residence like this? close as it is to
so opulent a city, are greatly diminished, not only by the bad state of th e roads, b u t also from their
being infested with robbers. On this account th e numerous villas in th e neighbourhood of Seville are
>1, • I ’ visited b y th e proprietors in th e daytime, and even'rtien
p. 60. ? wJ-etched state of this p art of Spain.” (Brooke's Travels in Spain and
505. In Murcia and Orihuela de Segura a taste for fi-uit-gardens prevails. In evcrv
cleft of the rocks which bound the garden of the bishop of Mm-cia, on the mountain of
banta Oatalma, a league to the south-east o fth e city, the Jasminum grandifl6i*um m-ows
as it wild, and flowers tlu'oughout the year.
506. Gardens Malaga. Alhaurin, a town situated on a hiU, a t the extremity of
the valley of Malaga, and watered hy the Guadalaxara, is not more admii'ed for its
pictiiresque situation and fine supply of water, than for the beauty of its flower-gai'den
Dm-mg summer it is much frequented by the rich inhabitants of Malaga.
E l Retiro, the seat of Count Villalcazar, lies a few miles •
residence. The gardens are laid out in th e Moorish style, w
miles from Malaga, and was formerly a royal
il style, with straight cypress walks. They are
tcrworks they contain;curious shapes
lalces, fountains, and beautiful waterworks which they'coritain; th e „
e s taattee Soff Cr ionuLnt vVnilVlaTlc azar ure the beautiful gardens of tho Prussian consulc,u ilnti vwatheidc.h tAhed jcooinffieneg ttrheee