The Gardens of Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar are part of the European Route of Historic Gardens, a route certified by the Council of Europe that has brought to light the lesser-known gardens of the continent. Hidden in the epicenter of the Costa Brava, these Noucentista gardens located on a cliff overlooking the sea become an idyllic refuge in which to lose yourself in times of pandemic.
The European Route of the Historic Gardens, which celebrates its Day for the spring time on April 26, is a cultural route certified by the Council of Europe and is the best way to recognize the historical, artistic and social value of member gardens. The initiative was born in 2016 as a result of the impulse of the city of Lloret de Mar (with the Santa Clotilde Gardens), the collaboration of the Aranjuez City Council and the Cultural Heritage and Tourism laboratory of the University of Barcelona. The idea is to unite the different most emblematic parks and gardens to reinforce their knowledge, as well as share experiences and innovation.
This route of historical gardens is part of the Cultural Routes program, launched by the Council of Europe in 1987 with the aim of demonstrating through a journey through space and time, how the goods of the different countries and cultures of Europe represent a shared heritage. With the incorporation of the Historic Gardens, the number of certified routes rises to 40, among which the Camino de Santiago, the Andalusian legacy routes or the Impressionist routes stand out.
The European Route of Historic Gardens is a non-profit association whose purpose is to bring together the largest number of managing entities of Historic Gardens in Europe with the aim of disseminating and promoting a quality cultural and tourist offer, as well as contributing to developing the territories in which these landscapes are found. This project brings together 16 public and private entities, six academic and professional institutions and represents 31 gardens and parks throughout the European continent. The European Itinerary of Historic Gardens comes at a time when the pandemic has drastically reduced the cultural and recreational offer, and where outdoor activities in the middle of nature are considered the great alternative for safe leisure.
Gardens of Santa Clotilde
With its 29,000 square metres, the Santa Clotilde Gardens are the largest Mediterranean flower beds on the European Route of Historic Gardens. Their situation between the Boadella cove and the Fenals beach makes them a unique space from where you can enjoy the synergy of all the elements of nature.
The gardens were designed in 1919 by the architect Nicolu Maria Rubió i Tudurí, a great follower of Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, who designed the gardens of Montjuïc and Ciutadella Park in Barcelona. The structure is organized around the main staircase, known as the Mermaid Staircase, which descends from an esplanade to the sea. In addition, there are three paths that come together in a large square and evoke a Mediterranean amphitheater with classical symmetries. Throughout the gardens, the diversity of Mediterranean plant species such as pines, lime trees or cypresses alternates with small ponds and sculptural ensembles.
The relief of the terrain allows us to appreciate from the different viewpoints how both natural spaces, water and land, merge. Mythological characters such as Venus and the sirens, and busts that emulate Roman sculpture from the imperial era, are submerged in this idyllic world represented by the noucentista garden of Santa Clotilde.
In 1972, the Gardens were declared a Picturesque Area by the Government and, in 1994, the Generalitat cataloged them as a Cultural Asset of National Interest (BCIN) in the Historic Garden category, within the process of reclassifying picturesque parks that turned them into Cultural Heritage of Catalonia. In 1997, the ownership of the Santa Clotilde Gardens was transferred to the Lloret de Mar City Council, and since then it has been classified as a Public Green Zone, thus representing a fundamental commitment to positioning Lloret as a municipality that wants to offer the possibility of an alternative tourism to the traditional sun and beach of the Costa Brava.
Within the gardens there is the possibility of carrying out different activities, among which the Som de Mar Festival stands out, where attendees can enjoy the best music in a paradisiacal environment with a local Mediterranean gastronomic tasting. In addition, guided and educational visits are carried out, to deepen the design and the different plant species that populate the flower beds.
other gardens
In Spain, the Gardens of the Palace of Aranjuez, near Madrid, and the Gardens of the Alhambra and Generalife, in Granada, also stand out. Internationally, the historical Boboli Garden stands out, in Florence, Italy; the Monserrate Park, in Sintra, Portugal, or the Herrenhausen Gardens, in Hannover, Germany, among other fascinating bucolic spaces.
In addition to their landscape value, these gardens have a historical value since they are linked to places of great historical importance: royal palaces, castles, towns, nobles and bourgeois villas. In figures, these gardens welcome more than 14 million visitors each year and have income of more than 60 million euros per year.
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