Enhancement and dissemination of funds from the El Retiro stove nursery (II)

The El Retiro Greenhouse Nursery houses an invaluable historical archive documenting the evolution of Madrid’s parks and gardens during the 20th century, particularly between the 1970s and 1990s. This collection contains exhaustive information on the design, construction and maintenance of the capital’s main public gardens, as well as records from the Municipal Nurseries and related topics. However, this legacy remains virtually unknown and uncatalogued.

The first phase of the project consisted of coordinating the inventory, management and cataloguing of the historical archive of parks and gardens deposited in the El Retiro Greenhouse Nursery, as well as assessing the possible incorporation of other collections (Cecilio Rodríguez, Rosaleda, Parque del Oeste, etc.). A proposal has also been made for projects and activities to promote the Vivero de Estufas through itineraries, signage, publications, exhibitions, etc.

The second phase of the project aims to organise, classify and inventory these documents to create an accessible register that will enable research and dissemination of Madrid’s green heritage. At the same time, initiatives are being promoted to raise awareness of this heritage through itineraries, exhibitions, publications and informative materials that invite people to discover how our public spaces were transformed.