Fisherman's House

Fisherman’s House (“La Casita del Pescador” in Spanish) is a small “capricho” construction in the northern part of Retiro Park in Madrid. It was conceived as a personal whim of the king who saved Retiro Park. The house was destined to offer his majesty a place to rest and is located on the central island of a pond where, back in the day, you could even fish.

After the War of Independence, the park was badly damaged and was rebuilt by King Fernando VII. During this Renaissance, exotic and beautiful constructions such as the Persian Hall and Fisherman’s House were created. Isidro González Velázquez designed this house and surrounded it with a pond for anglers to enjoy. The house has a striking pinkish body, adorned with Pompeian-style paintings and frescoes and with niches, where Roman busts once stood.

This type of construction had its predecessors in the so-called 18th-century pavilions that were prominent in English and French gardens. In Spain, these curious structures appeared in important gardens at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century.

For years, the Fisherman’s House remained abandoned and was eventually used as a Tourist Information Office. It is now the Municipal Center for the Adoption of Pets.