Madrid Photos: Parque del Retiro
This is a large park in the city of Madrid. Originally it was a royal park for King Phillips IV who used it as a retreat for the royal family to escape the busy life. This also explains the name of the park, since ´retiro´ means retreat in Spanish. It is 130 hectares big and it opened to the public in 1868. The park contains many different sites to see, for example the Museo del Ejército, which is a museum with old armours, the sword of El Cid and the cross that Christopher Columbus took when he discovered America. The museum is also largely focused on the Spanish military history. Besides the serene nature and the museum, there’s also the monument of Alfonso XII in front of an artificial lake (which can both be seen in the picture above). Another statue is called El Angel Caído; it is most likely the only statue in Europe which is dedicated to Satan. Finally, there are also two palaces situated in the park, one of which is made completely out of glass.
Madrid Photos
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