Monastery of Saint Mary of Parral, Segovia

The Monastery of Saint Mary of Parral is a Roman Catholic monastery located just outside the walls of Segovia. It was founded by King Henry IV of Castile in 1454, before he ascended to the throne. Despite his generally irreligious lifestyle, King Henry IV maintained connections with the Hieronymite monks and was eventually buried in the sister-house of the monastery, the Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe.

During the 16th century, a mint was constructed near the monastery, utilizing the power of the Eresma River to operate its machinery. This added an economic element to the monastery's significance.

The monastery houses several notable works of art, including a 16th-century retable in the Renaissance style. However, it is perhaps more famous for its association with works of art that were relocated from the monastery. After the closure of the monastery in the 1830s, some of its art pieces were transferred to Madrid and stored in a monastery at Atocha.

Later, in the 1870s, they were moved to the Royal Gallery of El Prado in Madrid, where they remained with limited research conducted on them. One painting, in particular, attracted significant interest, known as the Fountain of Life or the Fountain of Grace. It depicts "The Triumph of the Church over the Synagogue" and is believed to have a connection to the renowned artist Jan van Eyck. The painting's symbolic language and constructional forms resemble those found in the Mystic Lamb polyptych, located in Saint Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium.

The Fountain of Grace, also known as The Triumph of the Church over the Synagogue, has garnered attention due to its speculated association with the artist Jan van Eyck. Recorded in the Convent's Libero de Bercero (Vellum Book) as a gift from the King in 1454, this artwork shares similar symbolic language and constructional elements with The Mystic Lamb polyptych in Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium.