The Little Fisherman’s House
The Little Fisherman’s House, or La Casita del Pescador, is a cute little cottage located in the north eastern end of the famous Retiro Parque in Madrid, Spain. It was built by King Ferdinand VII as part of his private garden, and was reserved for his royal enjoyment and that of the monarchy.
Work began on the Casita in 1817 by the chief architect of the Palace, Isidro González Velázquez, who created other magical pieces in the Retiro park such as the Artificial Mountain of Buen Retiro, the Embarcadero del Estanque and the Egyptian Fountain known as “Caprichios”.
The Casita is made of plastered brick walls, with central openings and niches adorned with Pompeian mouldings, finished off with an attic and tall fairytale-roof made of zinc plates. It sits on a platform in the middle of a pond accessed via a wooden walkway. It is surrounded by a metal fence which was installed after the Spanish Civil War to replace the previous wooden structure.
The building is painted a lovely terracotta color that matches perfectly with a bright sunny day and it is said that the king fished there from time to time. It has the appearance of “Madrid architecture” from the time of the Habsburgs, and It is one of the few remaining examples of buildings that adorned the private gardens of royalty, when the Retiro Park belonged to the Crown.
Caprichos
The Casita is a group of small constructions known as Caprichos, which are often of a romantic nature and have various functions like structures, bridges, pavilions, little houses normally located in a park or garden.
