The garden itself dates from 1865. It was designed by the German architect Emilio David.
In 1941, it was transformed when the trees were completely destroyed by a cyclone. The only large tree that has resisted was the tercentenary elm (1612) known as "gallows tree" not existing anymore.

This garden, known as Jardim da Cordoaria, is officially called Jardim João Chagas. At the center there is a lake surrounded by three sculptures: a “Flora”, made by Teixeira Lopes (1904), a statue of Ramalho Ortigão, made by Leopoldo de Almeida (1909) and a bust of António Nobre, made by Tomás Costa (1926).

In the context of European Cultural Capital Porto 2001, the garden had an intervention coordinated by the architect Camilo Cortesão and there was integrated a set of sculptures by Juan Muñoz, 2001 "thirteen laughing at each other".