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The "Parque del Retiro" is the most important and tourist park of the city. Located in the heart of Madrid, it's very lively, especially on Sunday mornings, when a crowd of musicians, mimes, jugglers, marionettes, etc. act before the passer-bys right by the majestic pond.
Constructed by the powers of Philip IV with the impulse of the count duke of Olivares in the XVII century; it was headquarters of the Parliament.
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Amidst the buildings of its precinct the Velázquez palace, the "Casa de Vacas" and especially the crystal palace (built as a greenhouse from iron and crystal by architect Ricardo de Velázquez Bosco at the end of the XIX century), stand out. These days it holds temporary expositions. On the grounds there is also the Astronomy Observatory, work by Juan de Villanueva in 1790.
Besides these buildings it is worth mentioning the several statutes, among these stand out the sculpture of the Fallen Angel, the only one in the world dedicated to the devil, and the Alfonso XII monument, designed by José Grasses and Riera that presides at the grand pond.
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