Pause here. Imagine stepping back in time at Mirador Huerta de la Partida. This natural space spans 38000 square meters. It is close to the Casa de Campo in Madrid. The Huerta de la Partida is part of Madrid Río near the Puente del Rey.
This enclosure dates back to the 16th century. It once supplied vegetables to the Palacio de los Vargas. The Meaques stream runs nearby. From Plaza de España, go down Cuesta de San Vicente. Reach Puente del Rey. You will find access to this space. A mirador sits at the highest point of Huerta de la Partida. It offers views of Madrid’s monuments.
The Huerta de la Partida’s origins lie in the 16th century. It served as a vegetable garden for the Palacio de los Vargas. Madrid grew but did not encroach on the Huerta. It remained for centuries. The Plano de Teixeira identified it in 1656. During the Second Republic, it went to the Comité de Plantas Medicinales. Locals gathered medicinal plants. During the Civil War, intense battles ravaged it. It practically disappeared as a garden.
The M-30 ring road threatened it in the 70s. Casa de Campo seemed disconnected from the city center. In the 21st century, six kilometers of the road went underground. This reconnected the Huerta to Madrid’s center. In 2007, Madrid’s City Council replanted trees. It integrated the area into Madrid Río.
The Huerta de la Partida holds a rich history and natural beauty. Its mirador offers views of Madrid’s center. The panoramic vista includes the Palacio Real. See the Catedral de la Almudena and Plaza de España.
The urban intervention accompanied the M-30’s burial. This created the Madrid Río park. The Huerta de la Partida became a green refuge. Over 800 fruit trees flourish here. Spring brings vibrant colors.
Almond, hazelnut, plum, and pomegranate trees grow here. Fig, apple, mulberry, walnut, olive, and pear trees thrive. The Huerta is home to birds and small mammals. Pollinating insects are also vital.
The Huerta de la Partida’s history intertwines with Madrid’s natural past. A dry channel meanders among the fruit trees. It evokes the past when the Meaques stream flowed here. It sought the Manzanares River on its way to the Jarama.
The Huerta once grew medicinal plants. In the 16th century, Felipe II dedicated it to this purpose. Gregorio de los Ríos, the royal gardener, oversaw the first plantings. He supplied the court’s pharmacy.
In 1929, Alfonso XIII gave land to the Comité de Plantas Medicinales. It became an experimentation field. From farmland to a green haven, the Huerta embodies Madrid’s evolution. It reminds us to value our heritage.
The Vargas family owned this estate. Their country house stood here from the late Middle Ages. Felipe II acquired it in 1562. It became the core of the Casa de Campo. They grew vegetables for the estate and the Palacio de los Vargas.
Anton Van Wingaerde chose this spot for a Madrid view in the late 16th century. His work is in Vienna’s Albertina Library.