The Duke of Lerma, the favourite of Philip III, wanted to create in Valladolid a larger and more luxurious recreational area than the gardens of the Royal Palace. To this end, from 1601 he bought land on the right bank of the Pisuerga, where he built the Palacio de la Ribera and an extensive orchard with walkways, pergolas, rose gardens and an ingenious hydraulic system that raised water from the river (Pérez Gil, 2002). In 1605 Lerma convinced the monarch to expand the complex with the so-called "King's Park", which would eventually pass into royal hands after the return of the Court to Madrid in 1606 (Pérez Gil, 2016). After the Court left, a period of decay began in the palace due to lack of maintenance. In 1761 its dismantling was authorized and its materials were reused for other buildings. Today only a few remnants remain that bear witness to what it once was.
Bibliography
AZCÁRATE, José María de (1962): "La fuente de Caín y Abel del Palacio de la Ribera", vol. XXVIII, en Boletín del seminario de Arte y Arqueología.
MARTÍN GONZÁLEZ, Juan José (1960): "Una estatua del Palacio de la Ribera, en Londres", vol. XXVI, en Boletín del seminario de Arte y Arqueología.
PÉREZ GIL, Javier (2002): El palacio de la Ribera. Recreo y boato en el Valladolid cortesano, Ayuntamiento de Valladolid, Valladolid, pp. 77-124.