This is how it was... VISTA ALEGRE Exhibition. From a recreational farm to an urban paradise
Large Stove. Vista Alegre Estate Gardens. Completed. November 21, 2024 - May 4, 2025.
The exhibition "VISTA ALEGRE. From recreational estate to urban paradise", curated by Miguel Lasso de la Vega Zamora and Alberto Sanz Hernando (COAM Architecture Foundation), explored the history of Vista Alegre through a selection of historical and current photographs and documentation.
The exhibition was organized by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the Spanish Language Office of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sport, and the General Directorate of Heritage and Contracting of the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Employment.
Exhibition
The Vista Alegre Estate, a favorite recreational estate of Madrid's high society in the 19th century, is preserved today among the streets of one of Madrid's most populous and working-class neighborhoods. Carabancheles witnessed the history of this urban paradise, whose gardens have maintained their historical value, while its buildings have been transformed and repurposed for different purposes over the centuries.
Vista Alegre has been a meeting and entertainment space for the elite, a private retreat for Queen Maria Cristina, and the residence of the Marquis of Salamanca. It was also home to the Colegio de Huérfanas de la Unión (Union Orphanage) and the Asilo de Inválidos del Trabajo (Working Invalids' Asylum), among other social and charitable institutions. Many stories are hidden within the walls of the Old and New Palaces, built by architects such as Martín López Aguado and Narciso Pascual y Colomer.
The exhibition "JOYFUL VIEW. From recreational estate to urban paradise" It had four sections, each of them linked to the different historical stages of the estate.
The documentation and photographs on display came from various archives and collections, such as the Regional Archive of the Community of Madrid, the IPCE Photo Library, the Air Force Archive, the General Administration Archive, and the María Soriano Public Special Education Center, among others.
Vista Alegre. From recreational villa to urban paradise
Vista Alegre dates back to the early 1886th century as a private haven for Madrid's high society. After its acquisition by the state in XNUMX, it was primarily used for healthcare, as shown in some of the photographs on display, which show glass-enclosed rooms and galleries of the palace converted into classrooms and workshops, or even operating rooms and dance halls converted into rehabilitation gyms.
The estate was partially destroyed during the Civil War, given its proximity to the front, and the subsequent reconstruction of Carabanchel by the Office of Devastated Regions, pursuing the goal of creating a kind of City of Charity in Vista Alegre.
In 2018, the Community of Madrid restored and protected the historic gardens as a Site of Cultural Interest for the enjoyment of its citizens. It also subsequently restored the Great Stove, originally the palace's greenhouse, as an exhibition space.
