Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, Madrid

The Botanic Gardens of Madrid were founded by the enlightened Bourbon King Charles III and formed part of his ambitious plan for the development of the eastern part of the city. The gardens, enclosed by railings and entered by two Neo-Classical gateways, were designed by the architect Juan de Villanueva.Opened in 1781, the Botanic Gardens achieved an international reputation through the import of plants and seeds from America and the Philippines. Its specialized library includes 10,000 drawings of the flora of New Granada brought from South America by the celebrated botanist Celestino Mutis. The collection of manuscripts includes books from the 15th to the 18th C.

The Palacio de las Cortes, with its Neo-Classical portico, stands in the Carrera de San Jerónimo, opposite the charming little Plaza de las Cortes and the grandoise facade of the palace Hotel. The building was erected in 1843-50 (architect Pascual y Colomer) on the site of the old Convent of the Holy Ghost. Flanking the steps leading up to the bronze entrance door (opened only on ceremonial occasions) are two bronze lions cast from cannon captured in the Moroccan War which ended in 1860.The history of the Spanish Cortes has been full of vicissitudes. Its origins date back to the popular assemblies of medieval Spain. The first modern Spanish Constitution was promulgated in 1812 by the Cortes, meeting in Cádiz. The country was then occupied by Napoleon's troops and the Spanish King, Ferdinand VII, was a prisoner in French hands. After his return Ferdinand abolished the Constitution and dissolved the Cortes, and thereafter, apart from a brief Constitutional interlude in 1820-23, reigned without a Constitution until his death in 1833.In the course of the 19th C. Spain was governed under a series of different Constitutions, introduced in 1834, 1837, 1869, 1873 (the first Republican Constitution, which never came into force) and 1876. The 1876 Constitution was set aside by General Primo de Rivera's coup d'état in 1923 the fall of the Dictator brought the fall of the monarchy, and the Republic which was proclaimed in 1931 promulgated a modern Constitution, one of the most progressive of its day. The present Spanish Constitution, adopted and promulgated by the Cortes, bears the date October 31, 1978. The last elections to the two-chamber parliament (consisting of Senate and Congress) were held in 1989.

A collection of 19th century Spanish paintings and sculpture are featured at the Buen Retiro Museum.