Located in the Plaza de la Trinidad, next to the church of San Nicolás, the palace of the Counts of Benavente was one of the most important palaces in the city. A court scene, it was the residence of the royal family and the birthplace of Anne Maurice, the future Queen of France, and of the Infanta Maria, daughter of Philip III and Margaret of Austria.

Its construction dates back to 1515. It was also the seat of the Cortes Generales and the royal councils. Under Juan Francisco Alonso Pimentel it housed the best private art collection that has ever existed in Valladolid. It suffered serious fires in 1667 and 1716. In 1801 it was acquired by the Diputación de Valladolid to be used as a hospice until the 1970s. In 1982, the Diputación ceded the building to the Ministry of Culture, which used it as a public library, following a process of reconstruction and rehabilitation carried out on the ruined building, with the aim of recovering and enhancing its original typology.

With regard to its structure, it should be noted that the ground floor is structured around two courtyards; the Renaissance courtyard is fully respected and a circular courtyard with a semi-spherical roof is built. In the central bay, as is usual in these palace complexes, the main staircase is located, adapting the entire interior to the new use and functions, with modern materials such as concrete.

The main façade conserves the original stone entrance doorway with a semicircular arch, flanked by the coats of arms of the Pimentel Counts-Dukes of Benavente and framed by alfiz.