Madrid, the state capital, where more than three million people reside, which has been historically classified as a villa, still preserves an oasis.
The Castillejo Olive Groveis a secret garden in the capital where you can enjoy romantic evenings in the moonlight, Furthermore, you can get a delightful pleasure by listening to the musical acts that appear there. Thus, this wonderful place is a meeting point between culture and the environment.
The Castillejo Olive Groveexists today thanks to the Fundación del Olivar de Castillejo, which was founded in 1985 by four founders to preserve this peculiar place. The idea of planting olive grove was originally formulated by José Castillejo, a Spanish jurist, pedagogue and manager of the Free Teaching Institution that defended the freedom of office and through which important legal, educational and social reforms were undertaken.
Castillejo decided to move away from the tumultuous environment of the capital to enjoy the peace and quiet of the Olivar del Balcón. This is an olive grove where Napoleon’s troops camped out in the War of Independence. This idea, of moving away to a refuge, was supported by other contemporary intellectuals like Castillejo. Thus, they moved alongside one another forming an illustrious neighborhood colony.
TheFundación del Olivar de Castillejohas a hectare of olive groves in a privileged environment of Madrid, Chamartín de la Rosa. Here, you can still appreciate the olive tradition of Madrid. These centuries-old olive trees have been witnesses to countless intellectuals in the silver age. Such examples include Ramón y Cajal, Unamuno and Ortega y Gasset.
Once again, olive groves have been and continue to be witnesses of this ecological paradise of great natural wealth, where history and culture are intertwined under the shade of the olive trees.