This initiative, which will depart at 11:00 AM from the San Lorenzo metro exit on Barranquilla Avenue, is the third walk organized in recent months. It is part of a broader mobilization by Hortaleza residents to prevent the disappearance of this historic estate, whose urbanization is being promoted by its owners, the Madres Adoratrices, with the support of the Madrid City Council.
Recently, representatives from Salvar Hortaleza delivered over 7,000 signatures to the Madrid City Council in defense of Huerta de Mena. They also requested a meeting with the deputy mayor and the delegate for Urban Planning to present the neighborhood's plea to protect the estate for its historical, cultural, and landscape values.
“"Huerta de Mena, also known as Finca de Los Almendros de Hortaleza, is not only a green space of great ecological value, a refuge in the heart of the city for many animal species, but also constitutes a historical and cultural heritage of great relevance for Madrid."
The estate has a deep connection to the life and work of 20th-century cultural figures, such as the playwright Carlos Arniches and his son, the architect Carlos Arniches Moltó. It was a meeting point for intellectuals and artists of the stature of Rafael Alberti, José Bergamín, and Eduardo Ugarte, contributing to the splendor of the Generation of '27 and the architectural avant-garde of the Generation of '25.
Despite a technical report from the Community of Madrid supporting the protection of Huerta de Mena, the platform denounces that the Madrid City Council has decided to allow the urbanization of the land. The project, promoted by a French real estate company and the Madres Adoratrices, plans the construction of 36,000 square meters of offices, which would mean the irreversible loss of a remnant of Madrid's agricultural past.
“"The loss of Huerta de Mena would not only be an attack on the cultural memory of the city but also a serious urban planning error at a time when Madrid needs more green and sustainable spaces."
The platform advocates for the estate's declaration as an Asset of Cultural Interest, a protection that the Community of Madrid partially announced a year ago without concrete progress. Given this situation, Salvar Hortaleza submitted the signatures on April 9 and requested a meeting with the Culture councilor.
The neighborhood platform argues that, although the deputy mayor stated in a press conference that the City Council understood the need for protection of Huerta de Mena, the current urban plan contradicts this stance by proposing the construction of buildings and new streets, which would affect mobility in an already congested area. Residents hope to learn the City Council's plans firsthand, demanding transparency from their representatives.
