Retiro Park (not to be confused with the Jardines del Buen Retiro), popularly known as El Retiro, is a park of 118 acres (1.18 km ²) located in Madrid. It is one of the most significant of the Spanish capital.

History:

Gardens have their origin between 1630 and 1640, when the Count-Duke of Olivares (Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel), favorite of Philip IV (1621-1665), the king gave some land that had been ceded by the Duke of Fernan Nunez for the recreation of the Court about the Jeronimos Monastery in Madrid. Thus, the remodeling of the Real that was next to the monastery, began the construction of the Palacio del Buen Retiro. Then had about 145 hectares. Although this second royal residence was to be what in those times were the outskirts of the town of Madrid, was not too far from the palace and was a very pleasant place to be in a heavily wooded area and fresh.

Under the direction of the architect Giovanni Battista Crescenzi and Alonso Carbonell built several buildings, including the Buen Retiro theater that hosted the great drama of the Golden Age, Calderón de la Barca and Lope de Vega. Endure even the Cason del Buen Retiro, a former ballroom, the Army Museum, once the Hall of Realms with its walls decorated with paintings by Velázquez, Zurbarán and frescoes by Luca Giordano and gardens.
They rose at the same time as the palace, working on them, among others, Cosme Lotti, designer of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and build a den for the exhibition of wild animals and an aviary for exotic birds. A large pond, stage mock naval battles and water shows, the octagonal pond or bells and the girl would fall within this initial period.
Throughout history, in this group have been making changes, do not always planned, which changed the face of the garden, as the Parterre designed during the reign of Philip V (1700-1746), the Royal Porcelain Factory Good Withdrawal times of Carlos III (1759-1788) and the Astronomical Observatory, designed by Juan de Villanueva, reigning Charles IV (1788-1808). King Charles III was the first to allow public access to the site, subject to compliance with the condition go well groomed and dressed.
During the French invasion in 1808, the gardens were partially destroyed by being used as a fortress by troops of Napoleon. The palace was completely destroyed.
After the War of Independence, Fernando VII (1814-1833) began to rebuild and opened a part of the garden to the people, as did Carlos III. The king reserved area between the streets of O'Donnell and Menendez Pelayo, where he built a series of recreational buildings in the fashion landscape of the time, yet preserved (early this century) fisher house, the house the smuggler and the artificial mountain.
Queen Elizabeth II (1833-1868) opened the road to Granada, street later known as Alfonso XII, the state sold the land included between it and the Paseo del Prado, which were urbanized by individuals.
After the 1868 revolution, the Glorious, the gardens become municipal property and its doors were opened to all citizens, beginning an era in which, the largest estuary and the pond of San Antonio de los Portugueses became Walk Cars. Sources placed the Galapagos and the Artichoke, performing the source of the Fallen Angel, by Ricardo Bellver. In Campo Grande is built the Palacio de Cristal del Retiro, the Palacio de Velázquez, designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. At this time, particularly in the late nineteenth century, takes Pio Baroja novel titled The Jardines del Buen Retiro, which tells the life of the capital on this spot.
Recent landscaping works were carried out by the gardener Cecilio Rodriguez who designed the rose garden and the gardens that bear his name.
Master Manuel Lillo wrote the pasodoble 'Retirement Kiosk' dedicated to the morning concert venue in the Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid acts during the summer.