Today, we travel without practically leaving home—or, to borrow a phrase from Vélez de Guevara regarding the chapters of his famous work El Diablo Cojuelo, in just a few strides from our doorstep—to visit one of Madrid’s most fascinating spots: Retiro Park.

There, wandering along labyrinthine paths where nature and art form an exceptional union designed to captivate the senses, we pause at what is arguably the most alluring and magnetic location of all: the Crystal Palace and its small artificial lake.

Built in 1887 with a futuristic vision inspired by the Philippine Exposition, the Crystal Palace stands as a true catalyst for stories, anecdotes, and urban legends that leave no one indifferent. It is situated near a crossroads where—curiously, at an elevation of 666 meters above sea level—stands a sculpture by Ricardo Bellver dedicated to the Fallen Angel (the Devil himself).

Originally intended to serve as a greenhouse before being dismantled for shipment to the Philippines, this striking iron-and-glass structure witnessed a historic moment in 1936: it was transformed into a parliamentary chamber where Manuel Azaña was proclaimed President of the Second Republic. Meanwhile, Perico Chicote—who would later rise to global fame as a master of mixed drinks and cocktails—set up an impromptu outdoor bar to serve the more than a thousand guests, a crowd comprising politicians, curious onlookers, and journalists.

Yet, while the building itself is a captivating draw, the small pond surrounding it—featuring a small, Cyclopean grotto at one end that still evokes Plato’s famous cave for the romantics who walk through it—is also a sensory realm. Here, trees such as the famous bald cypresses (possibly of the same species found in the Louisiana landscapes where Mark Twain set the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn) delight the senses every autumn, lending the setting a fantastical allure; their explosive beauty transports the viewer to the kind of fairy-tale worlds characteristic of Celtic mythology, quite apart from any connection to the passionate Apollo.

This interplay of eras, sensations, and styles comes as no surprise when one considers that its builder, Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, was one of the great architects of his time.

He was an architect—as well as an archaeologist and restorer—whose extensive résumé includes work on the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, the legendary Caliphate city of Medina Azahara, and the ancient cathedral of León.

Ultimately, for us Madrileños, the Crystal Palace in Madrid stands as a place of profound symbolic and magical significance—a spot that allows us to travel far without ever really leaving home.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are, therefore, subject to copyright.