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A large neighborhood garden
The Gardens of Villa Cecília are quiet, despite the continuous flow of pedestrians who have incorporated it into their usual itineraries, or the many people who go to the Civic Center. There are shady paths under the tops of pines, lindens and edged peppers. A large paved area with a small palm grove allows you to do all kinds of activities: from neighborhood parties to sports competitions. Another attraction of this park is dedicated to the elderly. It is a playful space that allows you to keep your joints in shape and promote agility with bars of different heights, screws to move your fingers and gentle ramps, among other resources, and that enriches daily walks.

Vegetation
Being gardens that have their origins in the nineteenth century, those of Villa Cecilia are rich in exceptional trees and palm trees, both in age and size. The huge white pines (Pinus halepenssis) and Scots pines (Pinus pinea), the very tall cypresses (Cupresus sempervirens) and the majestic canary palms (Phoenix canariensis) are a few examples. Among the tree species are also bananas (Platanus X hispanica), lindens (Tilia X europaea), cedars (Cedrus deodara), black peppers (Schinus molle) -some large-, Siberian elms Ulmus pumila) and ailants (Ailanthus altissima). Next to the Civic Center is a specimen of Butia capitata, a rare palm tree in Barcelona. As for the shrubs, the laurels (Laurus nobilis) stand out. Another remarkable aspect of the vegetation is the cypress fences cut in the shape of huts. A kind of small vegetable village that begins at the entrance to the gardens along Santa Amèlia Street and ends in the square where the Civic Center is, which is where you can see the best perspective of this excellent clipping job.


Art and architecture I
n the water of the canal that begins to the right of the entrance of the gardens by the street of Santa Amelia, lies, earthy mouth, drowned Ophelia, a bronze sculpture of Francisco Lopez Hernandez of the year 1964. instead, large metal sheets of Ginkgo biloba come together in a kind of arch that, climbing from the canal, welcomes the visitor. It is the work of the architects responsible for the reform of the gardens: Elías Torres and José Antonio Martínez Lapeña. These architects also designed the park benches - made of wood on stone wheels that evoke skates - and very tall lanterns inspired by trees. Two design elements were awarded a FAD (Promotion of Decorative Arts) award in 1986. History The Jardins de la Vila Cecília are located on the grounds of an old rural estate: Cal Noyu, which was acquired in 1909 by Eduardo Conde, founder of the El Siglo warehouse, the first established store in Barcelona with large surface area criteria. . Conde named the town Cecilia in honor of his wife. In 1969, the land was expropriated by the City Council to become a park. Part of the current green space belonged to the old gardens of Villa Amelia, located right next door and which are currently also for public use. The building that was the residence of Eduardo Conde is today the headquarters of the Casal de Sarrià Civic Center.
Located next to the Villa Amelia, with which originally was a unique garden, the Gardens of the Villa Cecilia is also a magnificent green space with numerous trees, one of the nerve centers of the activities in the district.

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