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 Santa Clotilde's gardens | |
 | The Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar are set in a natural amphitheatre overlooking the sea. They cover a surface area of 26830 square metres, and the upper esplanade stands 50 metres aboye sea level. The gardens are currently the property of the Lloret de Mar Town Councíl. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Doctor Roviralta bought the land to build a house and gardens. The design was entrusted to Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí, who in time was tu become the maximum exponent of Catalan landscape architecture. The Santa Clotilde Gardens were designed along Italian Renaissance lines: terraced gardens with ample views of the surrounding area and harmonically arranged native species. This garden is a clear exemple of the spirit of the Catalan noucentista movement. The balance between space, volume and colour is set off by certain ornamental elements which form various points of interest of great beauty. |
| The elements making up the Gardens | |
 | The gardens are made up of a series of elements, namely: the vegetation, the sculptures and the water, as well as the paving and the furnishings. |
| The vegetation | |
 | It is important to point out the predominance of Mediterranean species in Santa Clotilde. Above all, the gardens make use of evergreen trees and shrubs, playing with the different shades of green offered by pines, cypresses and cedars, amongst others, which contrast with the seasonal changes of the deciduous plants such as lime-trees or white poplars. Another point worth making is the use of topiary art (systematic clipping of plants) to create architectural settings: the impressive, columnar cypresses and the parterres of pittosporum. |
| The sculptures | |
 | These are placed in the garden to create different points of interest. There are sculptural groups associated with water, such as Maria Llimona’s bronze mermaids on the main staircase. In the concourses and miradors there are classically inspired busts on ivy-covered pedestals. |
| The water | |
 | Along with the sculptural elements, water provides the garden’s connecting thread. It can be found in two forms: as water in movement (fountains on the main staircase and the upper pond) or in sheets of water (strategically placed ponds such as those on the terraces). |
| The Garden and the landscape | |
 | On the garden’s main pathways (the three staircases leading down to the central concourse) and on the upper esplanade, the function of the vegetation is aesthetic and architectural as well as sculptural. The cypress hedges form walls that channel the visitor’s vision, emphasizing different views such as the descent to the sea, which is enhanced by the presence of mermaids and fountains. As regards to the large upper esplanade leading to the house, the immense columns and high walls of clipped cypresses create a magnificent landscape out of a tamed wilderness. The dramatic effect is further enhanced by the play of colours: the blue of the sky, the permanent green of the vegetation and the white of the ground, the sculptures and the white poplars. On either side of the main pathway, the garden takes on a more “natural” look. The patches of lawn, with groups of scattered trees arranged on the slopes, provide a link with the surrounding landscape. This arrangement provides open views prospects which can be enjoyed from the little concourses distributed around the gardens, constantly changing depending on the observer’s position. |
 | The maintenance of this artificial landscape requires constant human effort and energy: trimming hedges, cleaning and raking, etc. Set in a natural amphitheatre, the Santa Clotilde Gardens offer open views over the surrounding landscape. The cliff-top miradors provide a view over the sea landscape and a large stretch of the coastline. The use of some of the same species that grow in the surrounding landscape means that it is sometimes difficult to tell where the gardens end and the natural landscape begins. |