The Fundación Andrés de Ribera is a non-profit organization which, by the will of its founding institutions—the Jerez City Council and the Provincial Government of Cádiz—has permanently committed its assets and endowment to the pursuit of activities serving the public interest.
The Foundation preserves and manages the heritage located on the historic estate known as La Atalaya, a property spanning 18,000 m² that features catalogued historical gardens, recognized as part of Andalusia’s green heritage, and architecturally significant buildings: the 19th-century manor house now home to the Palacio del Tiempo clock museum, and the twin winery pavilions from 1881 (Don Federico and Don Jorge), adapted as a convention and event center for meetings, performances, and celebrations.
The manor house dates back to around 1860 and was originally the residence of prominent winemaking bourgeois families such as Romate and Vergara. In the 1960s, the estate was acquired by the company Zoilo Ruiz Mateos, S.A. In 1973, entrepreneur José María Ruiz Mateos purchased a collection of 152 French timepieces which, together with two other collections previously owned by Pedro León, form the current permanent display—287 historic clocks in total. The collection was first opened to the public in March 1973. The private entity at the time enlisted local clockmaker Arturo Paz, who maintained the collection in excellent condition until shortly before his passing in 2005.
Following the expropriation of RUMASA, the Jerez City Council and the Provincial Government of Cádiz joined forces to establish the foundation, which has managed the estate since 1987.
Between 1998 and 2001, the facilities were temporarily closed to renovate the winery buildings into a modern convention center and to update the clock museum. After reopening in February 2005, the museum began showcasing additional collections owned by the Fundación Andrés de Ribera, including 140 ceremonial walking sticks and batons, two Flemish School tapestries (circa 1640), a late Gothic sculpture, and, more recently, a curated selection of civil silverware.