This 17th century palace was the home of Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma and an influential favorite of Spain’s King Phillip III. The duke was an important diplomat who negotiated numerous treaties and his magnificent and imposing palace was meant to serve as a symbol of his power. He was also something of a religious and racial bigot and was the person who, along with the Archbishop of Valencia, Juan de Ribera, initiated the expulsion of many thousands of Moriscos, descendants of Spain’s Muslim population who had…
