Gardens at Yuste Monastery

Emperor Charles V was a lover of gardens and nature, a love that is evident in his retirement to Yuste in 1554. From Brussels he received news of the enclave where the monastery is located,“... in a cool uninhabited area with plenty of water from fountains, with an infinity of fruits of all kinds, winter and summer... it is the most peaceful and temperate and pleasant land there is in Spain” and he decided to build there “a house to be able to live with the most indispensable servants and employees as a private individual.” There, the Emperor wished for a closer connection with nature that would encourage meditation and prayer, “enjoying the pastime of creating a garden on top, which is where there is a terrace, which he wants to cover and place a fountain in the middle of, and around the sides make a garden with many orange trees and flowers and he wants to do the same below”, where he created a tiled pond that, together with the one on the lower terrace, would give the palace the appearance of his birthplace in Ghent.