These gardens, emblematic of the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th Century, were the result of the urban remodeling of the Prado area commissioned by Carlos III. He himself opened the gardens in 1781. Like the nearby Prado Museum, it was designed by Juan de Villanueva. Visitors to the gardens will find a wide variety of trees, flowers and plants from around the world, and the more exotic species of plants can be found within the greenhouse complex.