Jardines de la Merced - Cordoba

Also known as Jardines de Colón (Gardens of Columbus) , they always had their point of reference in the old Convent of the Mercedarian Brothers .

This enclave was one of the city's natural exits to the north .

The gardens are decorated with a central neo-Romanesque fountain , designed in the late 19th century by the sculptor Rafael del Rosal. Surrounded by rosebushes, hedges and a large number of trees, the fountain consists of a large circular basin showered with figures of scallops and mythological fish and a plinth in the center with two superimposed valves that release the water from a central fountain at the top. catch.

The round shape of the square around this fountain is reminiscent of the bullring that stood here until 1831 . The gardens were built in 1905 and the fountain in 1920.

In the gardens is the Al-Morabito Mosque , where Islamic worship is practiced. The fountain dedicated to the Cordovan woman , recently built and located at one of the entrance gates of the gardens, is another symbol of the city's attachment to water since Roman times. From the gardens there is a beautiful view of the old baroque convent of La Merced , now the seat of the Provincial Council.

Willem Vandenameele