Puerta de Murillo of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, Historic entrance gate at Royal Botanical Garden, Madrid, Spain
The Puerta de Murillo is the northern entrance to the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, marked by stone architectural elements in the neoclassical style. The passageway opens directly onto the upper terrace of the garden, where plant collections begin their systematic arrangement across the grounds.
Architect Juan de Villanueva designed this entrance in 1785 under King Charles III, who founded the garden as part of his reforms supporting botanical research. The structure reflects the ideals of Spanish Enlightenment and the era's enthusiasm for scientific collections.
The gate is named after the botanist and minister Murillo, reflecting its connection to the scientific mission of the garden. Visitors experience the neoclassical design as an embodiment of the Enlightenment values that shaped this institution from its beginning.
The gate is located at Plaza Murillo 2, directly near the Prado Museum, making it easy to visit both sites during the same trip. The entrance is straightforward to reach on foot and provides direct access to the garden areas without detours.
The Puerta de Murillo long remained less known than other garden entrances, even though it offers the most impressive architecture and reflects royal intention to create a dignified access point. Today this entrance provides the most direct path to the elevated plant collections, giving the visit a sense of discovery.
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