Los Viveros Park

San Pio V, s/n, 46001 València, Valencia
Telephone: 953 52 54 78

Of the many surprises new cities can offer, el Jardín de Viveros (or Los Viveros Park) was one of them. I had no idea of the new world that was introduced to me during a trip to the park for Dr. No's Humanities class.

The park's name is derived from the Royal Palace that used to stand proudly in the vicinity of the gardens up until 1810. It was build under the kings of the Taifa de Valencia, with the initial intention of being a pleasure palace. In 1560, a nursery was removed to make room for the orange and lemon trees that were being moved into the Palace of Aranjuez. In the 20th century, the gardens were repopulated, beautified, and then donated to the city of Valencia in 1903.

The park is filled with a wide variety of plant life and trees which is a testament to the fertile soil of Valencia. Each new area of the park has at least one water crafted in a different Spanish style. I felt as though I was transported going into each new location. There was an old building that was once a school, old stones used for grinding corn were laid in a plain field of grass, and mazes and mazes of bushes surrounded the park. Animal wilderness is a common sight as well. There are birds held in a bird cage with another Spanish water fountain and a statue of a boy feeding the birds. There are statues all over the place, each striking a different pose or decorating the garden in a still manner. Overall, the way the sun hit the green grass and trees of the park, there could not have been a more beautiful place to get lost.

Today, los Viveros serves as a standing representation of Valencia's fertile soil and as a beautiful green ornament to the town. It is a great public space for dating, strolls (I'm sure Lars loves to walk through there), or take in the vivacity of los Viveros. I greatly enjoyed my time in the park. Seeing the various trees and the openness of the park reminded me of the open spaces of Balboa park near my house in Reseda, California. I could see myself returning to the park with my guitar, sitting on the bench by the leafy tunnel, and playing for a few hours. I think a musical walk through the park would be a wonderful way to spend the day.

~Christian "Macho" Camacho