Jardín del Príncipe de Anglona

Could you imagine finding a garden in the heart of the old Madrid of the Hapsburgs, where there’s basically nothing more than historic buildings and plazas?

Well, in one of the most emblematic plazas in the historic neighborhood of Madrid, in the Plaza de la Paja, you’ll find the Príncipe de Angola (Prince of Angola) gardens.

The plaza is really a small park. On the northern side of the fence, you’ll find an 18th century garden, formed as part of the adjoining 16th century building, which is now known as the Palace of the Prince of Anglona.

After spending a lengthy period of time semi-abandoned, the garden was taken over by the town hall of Madrid, and it was later opened to the public in 2002 (hours: 10 AM to 8:45 PM; only open until 6:30 PM October to February).

In the Plaza de la Paja, in the heart of the La Latina neighborhood is hidden one of the prettiest green corners of Madrid: the Jardines del Príncipe Anglona, a space that has always been linked to the adjacent Casa-Palacio (House-Palace). Its name comes from the distinguished tenant that lived there after his brother was named Duke of Osuna. Afterwards the Marquises of la Romana bought the property. The gardens as seen today were ordered by this couple in 1920 to J. De Winthuysen, a painter and garden designer. It became part of the city in 1978 and since 2002 it’s open to the public.

Since then, it is common to see in this small place couples in love strolling around or lonely figures with a book in hand that come to enjoy the sun and let loose their imaginations.

I know Madrid and the La Latina neighborhood quite well, but not as well as I thought! After walking through La Latina with its tapas bars and sun-soaked terraces, my friends and I stumbled across a small, shaded garden in Plaza de la Paja.
It’s not difficult to imagine ladies and hand-maidens sitting there to chat about the latest Court gossip, or a pair of young lovers secretly meeting in the shade of its groves.
The garden was founded in the 16th century and is one of the few from that era that still survive, although it was abandoned until its renovation a few decades ago.
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