Designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, and built between 1893 and 1897, it is on a prominent site opposite Atocha railway station.

For most of its life the building has been the seat of the Agriculture Ministry, and the words "Ministerio de Agricultura" are prominently displayed in a cartouche on the facade.

The building houses civil servants belonging to the current Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente).

In 1905, a group of marble sculptures by Agustí Querol Subirats entitled La Gloria y los Pegasos was placed on top of the building.

It was put on Spain's national heritage register in 1989 under the name Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food).