Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval

"Passing through the São Roque garden, located on land that belonged to the hospital and the chapel of the same name, we arrive at the old farmhouse and cemetery of the Dominican convent, which was restored as an urban green area in accordance with the project by the Galician architect Isabel Aguirre and the Portuguese Álvaro Siza. The park can be accessed via a strategic walkway formed by the contrasting architecture of two museums: the Centro Gallego de Arte Contemporáneo (CGAC), whose current design was the work of Siza himself, and the Museo do Pobo Galego, housed in the old medieval convent. Situated on a slope facing west, it offers surprising views of the city's rooftops, to which the artist Chillida dedicated a sculpture that intentionally frames them in a vision of the city. The intervention is an example of perfect adaptation to the topography, the elements, and also to the tripartite organization given to it by the Dominicans centuries ago - vegetable garden, oak grove and cemetery - which combines the undulating forms of the slope with the linearity of the geometric layouts of its paths and benches. Water whispers along the entire promenade, with fountains, canals and small cisterns... The result is an exquisite space, with a subtle contemporary design, which plays with perspectives, and which is an exceptional model of artistic expression. The historic grove was completed with new species, which adds a special botanical interest to it, especially the oak grove."