Jardín Botánico-Histórico La Concepción is one of most beautiful and important tropical and subtropical gardens of Spain and one of the most appreciated ones in the whole of Europe. Created around 1855 by the Marquises of Casa Loring, it was expanded some years later by the second owners, the Echevarría–Echevarrieta family. It was officially declared a Historic and Artistic Garden (currently a 'Bien de Interés Cultural' in 1943. It became the property of the Council of Málaga in the spring of 1990 that opened it to the public in 1994.
It comprises 23 hectares and it has a garden in the centre that has been declared to be a historic/artistic garden of approximately 3 hectares. Form the set of fountains and waterfalls combined with a beautiful selection of subtropical plants from all over the world, its romantic landscape style stands out with significant neoclassical features.
There are more than 25,000 plants belonging to about 2,000 different species of which 90 are palm trees, 200 are native plants and the remainder are tropical and subtropical. In relation to buildings, the Casa-Palacio (Palace House) and the Casa del Administrador (Administrator's House) stand out. The administrative offices are housed in the first one and it has generous rooms for different uses and a comfortable and well-equipped assembly hall. The laboratories for research staff, an exhibition room and a classroom can be found in the second. There are some more smaller buildings doted around the garden such as the Antigua Escuelita (Old School), la Casita del Jardinero (Gardener's House), known as the Casita de los Cipreses (House of the Cypresses), the Museo Loringiano (Loringiano Museum) and a regionalist style dome that is used because of its panoramic views of the city.
The Museo Loringiano houses the archaeological finds that Jorge Loring acquired from the excavations of Málaga and the province such as the 'Lex Flavia Malacitana' (Malaga's municipal code of law), which is currently in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain in Madrid. Some of these archaeological items can be seen around the museum.
Around the Historical Garden, we can find the Botanical Garden that contains a set of plant collections that have been structured scientifically that can be visited in the following thematic routes.
References:Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.