Hospital de la Santa Creu
i Sant Pau was established in the heart of
old Barcelona in 1401. It was created
by merging six existing hospitals into one
on a single site in the city's Raval
district. It continued to serve the
city's population for hundreds of
years. In the late 19th century the
growth in the city's population combined
with advances in medical care stimulated a
plan to create a new hospital and eventually
the modernist architect Domènech i Montaner
was commissioned to bring the new hospital
into existence. His plan called for
the construction of a number of separate
pavilions, each dedicated to a different
medical specialty. His original plan,
seen below, called for 48 buildings but in
the end only 27 were built.
In 1902 work began on 12
buildings surrounded by gardens and linked
by tunnels. As the hospital's website
says, "... The natural
lighting, the good ventilation and the
restrained elegance of the décor made
the new Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant
Pau a unique place in the world, a
pioneering model hospital which affirmed
the importance of open space and
sunlight in the treatment of patients."
"Over the years, in
addition to being the city's hospital of
reference, Sant Pau has become a
prominent landmark within the cultural
heritage of Barcelona and Catalonia. It
was declared a Historic Artistic
Monument in 1978, and was recognised as
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
.... In the autumn of 2009, Sant Pau's
healthcare activities were transferred
to a modern building located in the
northern section of the grounds, and the
Modernista complex took on a new lease
of life. A painstakingly thorough
restoration has reaffirmed the value of
Domènech i Montaner's work and
established Sant Pau as a major
international centre for knowledge and a
new cultural landmark."
