The Gardens have their origin between 1630 and 1640, when the Count-Duke of Olivares (Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel), favorite of Philip IV (1621-1665), the king gave some land that had been ceded by the Duke of Fernan Nunez for the recreation of the Court about the Jeronimos Monastery in Madrid. Thus, the reform of the Fourth Royal beside the monastery, began the construction of the Palacio del Buen Retiro. He was then with about 145 hectares. Although this second royal residence would be in what in those days were the outskirts of the city of Madrid, was not too far from the castle and proved a very pleasant place to be in a heavily wooded area and fresh.

Under the direction of architects Giovanni Battista Crescenzi and Alonso Carbonell built several buildings, including the Buen Retiro theater theater that hosted the large Golden Age, Calderon de la Barca and Lope de Vega. Endure even the Cason del Buen Retiro, a former Ballroom, the Army Museum, once the Hall of Realms, its wall decorated with paintings Velazquez, Zurbaran and fresh Lucas Jordan and gardens.

These were lifted while the palace, working on them, among others, Cosme Lotti, designer of Grand Duke of TuscanyAnd building a mess for the exhibition of wild animals and an aviary for exotic birds. The big pond scenario naumachias and aquatic shows, the octagonal pond or river bells and girl belong to this initial period.