Jardines de la Merced
Also known as Jardines de Colón, these gardens were formerly the grounds of the convent of the Mercedarian friars. The area is one of the city’s natural exits to the north. The park is designed in neo-romantic style, with a late 19th century ornamental fountain by sculptor Rafael del Rosal. The central fountain is set among rose bushes, hedges and an assorted mixture of trees, and consists of a large circular basin covered in scallop shells and mythological fish, with a central pedestal formed by two superimposed shells which collect water from a central fountain in the top. The square in which the fountain stands echoes the shape of the former bullring which stood here until 1831. The gardens were built in 1905 and the fountain in 1920. The Colón and Ferroviario secondary schools were also built in two of the corners of the gardens.
Withing the grounds stands the Al-Morabito Mosque, which is a modern mosque in current use.
There is a recently-built fountain just outside one of the park gates dedicated to the Cordovan Woman, which reminds us that aqueducts have brought flowing water to the city’s fountains water since Roman times. From the gardens, there is a superb view of the old baroque convent of La Merced, currently the seat of the Provincial Council.
