After the State acquired the Generalife in 1921, public opinion came to favour the creation of a public park, which led to the landscaping of the area between the Alhambra and the buildings of the Generalife Palace.
It was divided into three sections, built one after another, which today form the New Gardens. In 1931 the section closest to the building was laid out as a maze garden with arches of roses and cypresses; in 1951 it was extended under the direction of the architect Prieto Moreno as an interpretation of the Muslim garden, with a cross-shaped water channel, paths and dense walls of cypress, and a pergola open to views of the Alhambra and the city.
Finally, in 1952 the open-air amphitheatre was added, built especially for the Granada International Festival of Music and Dance, which has been held there ever since.
