Santiponce Itálica

Heritage

An immense legacy waiting to be discovered

Winthuysen Gardens

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In 1931, the company Canalización y Fuerzas del Guadalquivir commissioned Javier de Winthuysen –a renowned landscaper and painter- the landscaping of the Hydroelectric Power Station. The project included the gardens surrounding the station, a temporary garden, the main garden, as well as other gardens, market gardens and orchards for the workers’ houses; and across the road, a wooded garden.

The Main Garden, on which this project focuses, is a rectangular, four-sided garden. Worthy of note is the pond, centre-mounted on a pedestal with commemorative inscriptions, crowned by a Roman anchor found in the River Guadalquivir. It is surrounded by a pebble mosaic inspired by the history of Ilipa Magna (Alcalá del Río). Several areas with plants are distributed throughout the garden, forming plant clusters and flowerbeds in geometric layouts. Javier de Winthuysen finished the project in 1934.

The gardens currently cover about 3,062 m2. The green area, along with the built features, create a valuable Historical Garden that is part of a remarkable industrial landscape. The garden became a municipal property through a transfer agreement. It was restored by an Employment Workshop following as closely as practically possible Winthuysen’s original plans.

NOTE: You have to cross the dam on the river to access the gardens, as they are on the opposite bank from the town centre.

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