Gardens of the Casa de Misericordia of Bilbao

During the summer, visitors to our cities appreciate the shade of the trees and the sound of the water in the fountains. In the very centre of Bilbao there is a garden of 16,600 square metres, populated by enormous centenary trees that goes unnoticed. It occupies the site of the former convent of the Recollect monks of San Mamés.

The Casa de Misericordia is located on a huge plot of land in the city between the Plaza del Sagrado Corazón and the San Mamés stadium. A wrought iron gate surrounds the property. But the gates are always open during the day. And the gardens, equipped with fountains and shady benches, are open to the public. As much as any urban park.

In 1872, they were designed in a romantic style by the architect Antonio de Goicoechea, the same architect who erected the imposing annexe of the Casa de Misericordia, a charity institution that is now a home for the elderly.

Entering the garden means cooling off in summer, while the noises of the city fade away and floral perfumes waft through the air. The paths pass through clumps of hydrangeas, camellias, oleanders, rose bushes and African lilies. Laurels and holly trees spring up in their wake. Magnolias, lime trees, false chestnut trees, palmettos and the occasional melancholic weeping willow.