Cultivating Madrid

The book delves into the role of parks and public spaces in shaping Madrid's identity as a modern capital. It examines the interplay between a growing consumer economy and literary representations by notable authors, highlighting their critical perspectives on Madrid's status in Europe. By incorporating insights from reformers, journalists, and economists, it presents an interdisciplinary analysis that reveals how gardens and their imagery blur the lines between nature and artifice, as well as reality and representation, essential for understanding realism and modernization in Spain.