Jardines de la Tamarita: A Hidden Garden in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi

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Some of the city’s most beautiful green spaces are formerly private gardens that have been assimilated into the public realm; of these, the Tamarita Gardens, also known as “La Tamarita,” are not only some of the most impressive, but also some of the least well-known. Tourists rarely visit this lovely park, but many locals don’t know about it either.

When you enter the gardens there is a sense of peace and seclusion, thanks to the stone and wrought-iron walls that surround them. Originally built to keep intruders out, today the walls help shelter the gardens from the bustle of the city. The two-square-acre estate and the mansion that sits on it are a reflection of the Barcelona of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when wealthy bourgeois families would build opulent homes in the northern part of the city, away from the dirt and the noise of the center. At the entrance is a man-made pond with a fountain, flanked by statues of sleeping lions that welcome visitors with a romantic tableau; a series of winding paths lead from the entrance around the garden grounds.

This particular plot of land was originally called Frare Blanc, and was owned for generations by the Craywinckel family: aristocratic Belgians who had settled in Barcelona in the 18th century. The land was purchased during the first few years of the 20th century by Catalan cotton industrialist Llorenç Mata. When he died in 1911, his nephew, Alfredo Mata, took over the property and decided to transform the grounds into gardens and a lavish residence. The mansion was designed in 1918 by Modernist architect Melcior Vinyals, while the gardens were an early work by architect and landscape designer Nicolau M. Rubió i Tudurí, who was the assistant to the renowned landscape designer Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier. Mata also built three additional houses for his sons, but these were located just north of the gardens’ walled enclosure.

The gardens’ layout is unique in that Rubió made an effort to conserve plants that were already growing, removing or relocating them only when necessary. Some of these plant species include yew, plane, bitter orange, acanthus, boxwood, ribbon, bay and jacaranda trees, as well as flowering shrubs such as black locust, myrtle and pittosporaceae. He also incorporated a natural stream that flowed through the estate: the Frare Blanc stream. 

One half of the grounds was purposely landscaped to preserve a wild or natural look, in contrast to the more manicured look of the other half, which were inspired by the French gardens that were in fashion at the time. The more “classical” half includes rose bushes, a small square or plaza with an oval-shaped fountain, a nymphaeum—a grotto with a small cascade flowing over rocks covered in seashells, and designed to look like a monument to the nymphs of ancient Greece—and a square called the “Plaza of the Four Continents,” created by famed Chilean sculptor Virginio Arias. The statues in the square represent America, Asia, Europe and Africa, though the figure representing Europe has mysteriously gone missing; a statue of a Roman general was put in its place. Other notable decorations are a fountain surrounded by sculptures of children at play, and another where sculpted frogs playfully spit water.

Nearby, a grassy meadow leads to the “wilder” half of the grounds. Closer to the stream bed are cypress, acanthus and linden trees, as well as bamboos and privet bushes. However, not all the plant life in the formerly private gardens are common species. Purple-leaved beech trees, Australian silk oak trees, and a 100-year-old rare holly oak also adorn the garden. There is even a rare example of the endangered species Wollemia nobilis; the Wollemi pine dates back to the era of the dinosaurs, and scientists refer to it as a “living fossil.” It was thought to be extinct until specimens of the tree were rediscovered in Australia in 1994.

Scattered amongst the plant life are statues and other ornamentation that were installed at the direction of the Mata family including fountains, terracotta and marble figures, elaborately carved flowerpots, garden pavilions, and other details that add a personal touch to the green space. One such vine-covered pavilion is located near the entrance; today, it functions as the park’s service building and the headquarters of a local neighborhood association.

During the Spanish Civil War, the estate was used as a “checa,” a secret military prison run by pro-Stalinist agents, where uncounted numbers of Spanish Republicans and other dissenters were tortured. (The Soviet Embassy was located close by, in the Torre del Dr. Andreu (Av. Tibidabo 17-19). Today, the torre (“tower”) belongs to the Mutua Universal, but the Soviet air-raid shelter is still there, and is open for visits on special occasions. Inside, there is a walled-up door that most likely directly connected the Tamarita Gardens and the Embassy. 

After the war, the property was abandoned; many prominent families in Barcelona and wider Catalunya were forced to give up their property to the Nationalists under Franco. The house and the gardens would remain neglected for the next fifty years or so. 

Barcelona City Hall acquired the estate in 1993, and for the next two years, it would undergo large-scale renovations under the direction of garden landscaping specialist Antoni Falcón before the local government opened it up to the public. The house became the seat of the Blanquerna Foundation of Ramon Llull University, which according to their mission statement, is “dedicated to research with social impact that contributes to the improvement of society in… health, education, sports, communication and international relations.”

Another renovation took place in 2010, and today, the garden features modernized amenities such as ping-pong tables and a children’s play area. Occasionally, the city programs a summer classical music concert series in the gardens.

La Tamarita is located at Passeig de San Gervasi 47-49, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district. The closest metro stop is Vallcarca (Line 3) or the FGC stops Putxet or Avinguda Tibidabo, and a number of bus lines have stops nearby. Access is free to the public. From April 1st through October 31st, the park is officially open from 8:00 to 21:00; from November 1st through March 31st, it’s open from 8:00 to 19:00. Closing time is approximate, and varies depending on when the sun sets each day.