Get to know the Umbracle

Get to know the Umbracle, one of the main badges of Santiago Calatrava's proyect

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  Art Promenade

  The "Art Promenade " is an area that is free of charge to the public that hosted exhibitions by Ripollés, Jean Claude Farhi , and the "The Towers of the Alhambra", by Cristobal Gabarrón. Now, the Art Promenade host exhibition by Laurence Jenkell until 14th October 2012

  
  
  Exhibitions catalogues, published by the City of Arts and Sciences, can be purchase at the Museum and Hemisfèric shops, and at our online store.

  These open-air works can be contemplated by visitors to the upper part of the Umbracle.

  
  
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  Botany

  The Umbracle, a place to stroll and relax, is presented as a showcase where art and nature combine to create a peaceful and welcoming space in which to view sculptures surrounded by numerous plant species.

  It is inhabited by the following autochthonous species which change their form and colour through the seasons. The careful distribution of the flowers gives them a delicate chromatic harmony, with red, yellow, orange, violet, and white predominating.

  The garden is surrounded by 99 palm trees, 78 small palm trees, 62 bitter orange trees, and 42 varieties of shrubs from the Region of Valencia such as Cistuses, Mastics, Buddleia, Pampas grass, and Plumbagos; 16 plants of Beauty of the Night; 450 climbing plants including Honeysuckle and hanging Bougainvillea; 5,500 carpet plants such as Lotus, Agateas, Spanish Flags, and Fig Marigolds, and a hundred aromatic plants such as Rosemary and Lavender. The predominating flower in the complex is the Bougainvillea as it is a hardy and decorative species.

  
  
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  Architecture

  Designed by Santiago Calatrava, this is the monumental access gateway to the City of Arts and Sciences. It is located on the south side of the complex alongside the El Saler dual carriageway, and is 320 metres long and 60 metres wide; it represents a novel solution to the parking requirements of the complex with great importance also having been given to its aesthetics. It is a viewpoint parade made up of a succession of 55 fixed arches and 54 floating arches 18 metres in height.

  
  
• Become familiar with the rules of the Umbracle.