Jardín histórico El Capricho de la Alameda Osuna, Madrid

El Capricho is a historic park whose creation began in 1784. María Josefa Pimentel, Duchess of Osuna, commissioned it on her estate at Alameda de Osuna, then beyond Madrid’s urban limits. Its name means “whim” or “caprice” in Spanish, a fitting idea for a landscape where ordered design meets more natural scenery.

The garden follows an eighteenth-century approach with English influence. Among its theatrical features are a hermit’s house and a temple dedicated to Bacchus; the lake and maze add further layers to the experience. The ducal palace is the biggest of the surviving buildings associated with the Duchess’s time here.

The iron footbridge dates from 1830 and is claimed to be Spain’s earliest iron bridge. A bunker from the Civil War period, known as posición Jaca, gives the park a strikingly different historical dimension. The Duchess continued shaping the grounds until her death, and El Capricho is recognised as one of Madrid’s most beautiful parks. Its garden and historic character are protected as a jardín histórico.