Jardim da Sereia March 2012
Jardim da Sereia March 2012
Jardim da Sereia March 2012
Jardim da Sereia March 2012
Jardim da Sereia March 2012
Click here for more photos of the Jardim da Sereia.
The Jardim da Sereia, or the Mermaid's Garden, is located in the Parque de Santa Cruz, in Coimbra, Portugal. There is no sign of any mermaid. The garden does little to give the impression of the sea. You might say it is not a garden at all, but a plaza with 2 fountains, one of them amazingly elaborate. My thoughts about what constitutes a garden are evolving. I am willing to accept this as a garden, mermaid or not. Must a garden contain plants? How much of a garden should be green? Here we have a space that is almost entirely stone, tile & water. The trees of the park provide a backdrop. But the only plants in this garden are moss, a few ferns & mostly the Soleirolia soleirolii (Baby's Tears) that grow in the larger fountain. An easy walk from the wonderful Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Coimbra, the Jardim da Sereia is definitely worth a visit.
This garden was designed and built in the time of Dom João V. The Parque de Santa Cruz & the Jardim da Sereia can be credited to Friar Gaspar da Encarnação, the minister who, between 1723 and 1752, reformed the Convent of Santa Cruz, one of the most important monuments of the City of Coimbra. The aim was to create a park suitable for contemplation. The entrance to the Mermaid's Garden, facing the Praça da República, is crowned by three statues representing Faith, Hope and Charity. French baroque influence is seen in the decorative elements such as tile panels and statuary. In the center of the fountain stands a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, framed by tile panels. This fountain was extensively repaired in 2005. (Translated from lifecooler.com, a Portuguese-language website, with the help of Google Translate.)
