Marivent Palace gardens due to open in January

Work to adapt the gardens will start this autumn, with the intention being that the public gardens will be officially opened in January. The fence will enable public use but also act as a means of security to prevent access to the Marivent building itself and to the Son Vent houses.

The government and the Royal Household have been working on the agreement for several months, the green light to the possibility of public access having been given last summer by King Felipe who said that he was in favour. A definitive statement regarding this public access is due to be made next week.

In principle, the government will assume the cost associated with the public area, which will require an addition being made to the current maintenance budget for the palace and gardens. This year's budget is 1,354,000 euros. The additional cost, says government spokesperson Pilar Costa, will be compensated by a process of "cost rationalisation" for the entire complex.

Opening of the gardens to the public was an aspect of the agreement for government between Costa's party PSOE and Més and Podemos.