Xardín de San Carlos

Xardín de San Carlos March 2012

Real Academia Galega, Xardín de San Carlos March 2012

Tomb of Sir John Moore, Xardín de San Carlos March 2012 

Real Academia Galega, Xardín de San Carlos March 2012 

Sir John Moore, Xardín de San Carlos March 2012

The Xardín de San Carlos is located in the city of A Coruña, Galiza.  The garden rests atop massive stone walls built in the 14th century as part of the defensive fortification of the city.  There are excellent views of the Port of  A Coruña & the eastern coastline of the city.  The current form of the garden dates from 1834.  It is primarily a monument to the British Lieutenant-general Sir John Moore, a hero of the Battle of A Coruña, on January 16, 1809.  Moore was mortally wounded when struck by a cannon ball.  The French were unsuccessful in their attack on the retreating British army, which was evacuated by sea 2 days later.  The battle was part of the Peninsula War (1808-14) fought in the Iberian Peninsula by British, Portuguese & Spanish forces against the French, resulting in the defeat of the French under Napoleon.  The garden contains the tomb & a bust of Sir John Moore.  It is pleasantly shaded & a popular site for wedding photography.  The garden conveniently located in the old city near the Castelo de San Antón.

Fountains of Western Iberia

 Lisbon, Portugal March 2012

Pontevedra, Galiza March 2012

Vigo, Galiza March 2012

Vigo, Galiza March 2012

A Coruña, Galiza March 2012

Xardíns históricos de Castrelos

Xardíns históricos de Castrelos March 2012

 Pazo Quiñones de León, Xardíns históricos de Castrelos March 2012

Pazo Quiñones de León, Xardíns históricos de Castrelos March 2012

The French garden, Xardíns históricos de Castrelos March 2012

Xardíns históricos de Castrelos March 2012

Click here for more photos of the Xardíns históricos de Castrelos.

The Xardíns históricos de Castrelos are a series of gardens, or a large garden with many parts, in Vigo, Galiza.  It is a pleasant, if not spectacular, garden.  The Pazo (Palace) Quiñones de León is a beautiful structure & backdrop for the garden.  It houses the Museo Municipal de Vigo "Quiñones de León," certainly worth a visit in itself.  According to the museum website: O Pazo Quiñones de León é en si mesmo un documento histórico e unha obra de arte como edificio. (The Palace Quiñones de León is itself a historical document and a work of art as a building.)  Completed in 1633, it is an example of an urban Spanish renaissance palace set in the Galician countryside.  Upgrades & renovations, including the gardens, were made by the Marquis de Alcedo in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  The gardens were designed by the prestigious Portuguese landscape designer Jacintho Mattos, based in Porto. There are 6 distinct parts: the entrance garden, the rose garden, the French garden, the English garden (also called the tea meadow), the terrace at the bottom of the meadow, & the bosque beyond, which features an allee of immense Eucalyptus globulus.

Xardín da Terraza Abandonada (Garden of the Abandoned Balcony)

 Xardín da Terraza Abandonada March 2012

I saw this abandoned apartment building in the Casco Vello de Vigo, Galiza.  Plants had spread from their pots to root on the floors of every balcony & into the many cracks of the facade to create a vertical garden of melancholy charm.  Although barely visible,  the containers were in place.  There are a number of abandoned buildings in the old city of Vigo.  But none other has been left in this condition.  I wonder what circumstances caused the residents to leave their potted plants behind.

Vin este edificio abandonado no Casco Vello de Vigo, Galiza. As plantas se espallou a partir dos seus vasos de enraizada nos pisos de cada terraza e nas moitas fendas do muro para crear un xardín vertical de encanto melancólico. Aínda que pouco visible, os vasos estaban no lugar. Hai unha serie de edificios abandonados na cidade vella de Vigo. Pero ningún outro se deixou nesta condición. Eu me pregunta o que fixo que as circunstancias os veciños a deixar os seus vasos de plantas para tras.

The second paragraph is a translation into Galego (Galician), an official language of Galiza (Galicia), along with Castellano (Spanish), and the first language of  local government.  There are 3 million speakers of Galego.