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Estanque Ochavado o de las Campanillas

Almost aligned with the northeastern corner of the Parterre is the Ochavado Pond, named after the eight lobes that form its shape. This is another of the original elements of the foundation of the Royal Site, which added the finishing touches to the Ochavado Garden at its northeastern vertex. The garden was thus named for its eight vegetation-covered paths that converged on a central roundabout. In the centre of the pond there stood a small tower with a spire with bells that chimed when the wind blew, explaining the name by which it was also known in the 17th century.

At the end of the 19th century, the tower was replaced by a simple Chinese openwork temple with hanging bells. Today it is occupied by a rockery base from where a small waterfall springs. The basin of the pond, with a diameter of thirty-five meters, is shaped by a curb of granite pieces and prismatic pilasters of the same material, between which a forged metal railing is formed.

Estanque Ochavado o de las Campanillas photograph