Old Hospital de la Santa Creu
A 15th-century hospital, a prime example of Catalan civil Gothic
This architectural complex, declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument, was built in 1401 in the Raval district with the aim of unifying the city’s six hospitals. The General Hospital of Barcelona was, for five centuries, a masterpiece of Catalan civil Gothic and is now home to the Library of Catalonia.
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The medieval heart of the Raval
The Santa Creu hospital complex, which served as Barcelona’s general hospital from 1401 to 1926, is a grand building with three Catalan Gothic-style naves in a “U” shape, remarkable for the splendor of its architecture. Although it was built in the 15th century, major modifications were made in the 16th century, giving it the appearance it retains today.
On the upper floor, now home to the Library of Catalonia, you’ll find an open, column-free space that once housed the hospital wards, covered with high, double-pitched wooden ceilings. On the first floor, where two public libraries are located, the layout of the three naves—once used for administration, the kitchen, and the laundry—is marked by Gothic ribbed vaults.
The complex also includes the Casa de la Convalescència, which features one of the most notable ceramic decorations in Catalonia and now houses the Institut d’Estudis Catalans; the Royal Academy of Medicine (which preserves one of the last original anatomical theatres from the 18th century); and the old Gothic chapel of the hospital complex, painted in 1703 by the baroque artist Antoni Viladomat i Manalt, now used as an exhibition space.
How to get to the Hospital de la Santa Creu?
The Hospital de la Santa Creu is located in the Raval district, behind the Boqueria Market. From the Plaça de Catalunya stop on the Blue Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic, walk down La Rambla to Carrer de l’Hospital to reach the old hospital complex.
For the curious
- One of the hospital’s last patients was none other than Antoni Gaudí. The architect was hit by a tram on June 7, 1926, and taken to the Hospital de la Santa Creu without being recognized at first. A priest and an architect identified him and asked if he wanted to be transferred to a clinic. Gaudí replied: “My place is here, among the poor.” He died three days later.
- In the courtyard of the old hospital are the Rubió i Lluch gardens, a very peaceful spot to escape the crowds of the city center.
- Some of the facilities are used for exhibitions and theatrical performances.
