Secrets of El Capricho Park in Madrid

Best kept secret: El Capricho Park of Madrid

During the late 1700s, many important gardens in England had a hermit living in them. They lived in fake caves or rustic huts and received salary from the owner. That was their job: pretending they were real hermits living in nature. If the owner’s budget was not enough to afford a real hermit from flesh and blood, they had wax figures or automata. In Madrid, in El Capricho Park, lived a hermit for a long time.

The Duchess of Osuna was one of the most important women in her time. In 1783 she bought a piece of land in order to build a residence away from Madrid, where she was living. She commissioned Jean -Baptiste Mulot, a French architect, to design the gardens. He had been working at Le Petit Trianon in Versailles, and here he followed the same line:  a tribute to nature and rural world, and at the same time, a place for the Duchess’ social life: parties, balls, and dinners.

Most of the park is designed in English style (also called romantic garden). It is inspired by nature, is full of contrasts, and displays an apparent disorder, where everything looks casual and natural, but despite this appearance every detail of the park was carefully planned to create a warm and touching place where we can feel different moods and sensations.

To give a sense of authentic landscape is essential to recreate a natural surface: hills, valleys, meadows and woods... Water elements are essential as well: rivers, little waterfalls and ponds. The edges of the garden should be hidden. Paths should not be straight, as straight lines do not exist in nature. Trees and plants suggest a wild scenario and the species are carefully chosen. Different details are considered: the color of the leaves in autumn, if they flourish at a certain time, etc. And finally, the romantic garden always includes rustic buildings and even ruins, to give a touch of realism and mystery... 

The Hermitage of the El Capricho Park in Madrid

The concept of the hermit is closely connected. Hermits are lonely characters, having a contemplative life in remote places, normally in wild nature. So, if we want to recreate a "real" nature, why not have a hermit in our garden? Real scenery that transports us to the world of sensations that suggest an evocative and legendary atmosphere.

El Capricho Hermitage was designed by Angel Maria Tadey (decorator and stage designer), as other structures in this garden, in the late XVIII century. It is a small building painted with trompe l'oeil, both outside, mimicking old plaster and cracks in the walls, and inside with columns, arches and medallions.

Friar Arsenio was the first hermit in El Capricho. He got board and lodging, and the contract specified he could not cut his nails or hair! When he passed away, he was buried under a pyramidal tomb. We still can see it near the porch. There was another hermit afterwards: Friar Eusebio, and finally the Duchess decide to have just an automaton.

We will continue discovering secrets in El Capricho very soon...

Author: Mónica F. Arranz
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Theme Tours and Escorial Tours