Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid, Madrid

The Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid is a living scientific collection, entered from Plaza de Murillo beside the Prado Museum. Its present garden took shape after King Charles III ordered its relocation to the Paseo del Prado; the new site opened in 1781. The layout by Francesco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva rises through three terraces, with plants arranged according to Linnaeus’s system.

Look at the formal plots, edged with clipped box, and the small fountains that punctuate them. The garden began on October 17, 1755, under King Ferdinand VI, holding more than 2,000 plants gathered by the botanist and surgeon José Quer. Its purpose extended beyond display: it taught botany, supported plant-hunting expeditions, and classified species, with particular attention to Spain’s colonial possessions.

A shipment brought by Alessandro Malaspina expanded the collection by 10,000 plants in 1794. Today, seven outdoor sections and five greenhouses shelter about 90,000 plants and flowers, along with 1,500 trees. The institution also holds Spain’s largest herbarium, containing over a million specimens. Its history includes abandonment during the Spanish War of Independence, revival in 1857, closure for restoration in 1974, and reopening in 1981.