OXXO

In the western part of the park there is the romantic garden-once occupied by an orchard-separated from the neoclassical garden by a path that runs through a valley. In the central part of this road there is a grutesca fountain, of Renaissance style, with double arch shape and three stepped cups, on which there is a sculpture of a fish that pours the water, very blurred today by the deposit of calcareous sediments and moss.63 At the end of the road, in the area adjoining the forest, there is a waterfall, with a dedicatory plaque «to Maria Rosa Moreno, historian of the gardens and the labyrinth of Horta, 1939-1995» .64 From here arises a stream that covers the entire edge of the garden, encompassing in its interior a series of flower beds and ponds with aquatic plants, in the shade of large perennial trees that give this area a gloomy atmosphere.65 Only some vestiges of the old design are preserved, but it seems that the motivation of the romantic garden was to allude to the theme of death - there was a replica of a small medieval cemetery, now disappeared - while the neoclassical garden revolves around the theme of love. There are some remains of the cemetery, such as capitals and tombstones, aligned today as decorative elements in one of the walls of the garden.62 In this false cemetery was the Hermit's cabin that housed an automaton characterized as a monk called "Father Felix" he consulted a skull.66 At present, the hut is empty and, next to it, there is a niche with a sweet cup and the inscription "Exvoto". There is also a cabin called the Payés, which formerly had a life-size figure, the «colonist Bartolomé», with a set of keys in his hand.67 Since 1993, the Desvalls Palace has housed the Laberinto de Horta Training Center, a municipal institute specializing in gardening and landscaping. In it courses for gardening enthusiasts, but also continuing some strawberry trees. The lower area of ​​the farm had been used before the planning of the garden as an orchard, with plantations of carob, olive, Canary pine, as well as various shrubs such as rosemary and broom were planted. Also, thanks to the abundance of water, species such as the love tree, the cottonwood of Canada, the elm, the acacia of Japan, the linden, the banana, the horse chestnut or the redwood could be planted.72 In addition to the labyrinth, formed by cypress hedges (Cupressus sempervirens), the park has numerous plant species, among which are: boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), linden (Tilia tomentosa), cedar of the Himalayas (Cedrus deodara), yew ( Taxus baccata), cocula (Cocculus laurifolius), Jupiter tree (Lagerstroemia indica), holm oak (Quercus ilex), laurel (Laurus nobilis), sequoia (Sequoia sempervirens), pine (Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinea), oak (Quercus robur) , euonymus (Euonymus japonicus), durillo (Viburnum tinus), pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira), barberry of Japan (Berberis thunbergii), ivy (Hedera helix), flower of love (Agapanthus umbellatus), fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), rusco (Ruscus aculeatus), ash (Fraxinus ornus), banana (Platanus acerifolia), etc.73 Turtles of the Labyrinth Park The fauna of the park is typical of other green areas of the city, although the proximity to the Collserola mountain range favors the presence of forest species that are not found in other urban parks. The plant density of the park favors the nesting of the birds: the presence of some eighty ornithological species has been detected, among which the pigeon and the sparrow are those that have a greater population. The presence of squirrels is also abundant.74 Among the rest of species can be found from bats, jinetas, moles, wild boars and badgers to snakes.69 On the other hand, in the aquatic habitats there are tadpoles, dragonflies, water snakes, golden carps and other species.25

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