The visit of Cosme III to the palace and gardens of El Buen Retiro was also enlivened by a boat ride through the large pond and the canals with which the engineers under the Count-Duque had turned the arid original spot into a delicious orchard.
This is how Magalotti describes the little journey: “His Highness was led on a tour through all the channels in two very beautiful boats; a brig completely gilt, with a canopy and pennants of golden and green brocade and a barraca (that’s how they call it) also all of it carved and gilt and covered with brocade and silver and red silk; these boats are the ones used by the royal persons when they want to have fun by the aforementioned pond.”
The Lake