Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Sant Pau Hospital: Tickets

Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site | Sant Pau Hospital Tickets and Information

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• Recinta Modernista de Sant Pau Address: Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167, 08025, Barcelona
• Opening Hours: Daily from 09:30 - 18:30

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Is Recinta Modernista Sant Pau Worth Visiting

• If you enjoy incredible architecture, its a must.
• If you enjoy historical buildings steeped in history, yes.
• If you enjoy UNESCO World Heritage Sites, yes.
• If you are a fan of Domènech i Montaner, its a must.

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What Visitors See When Visiting Sant Pau

• The incredible gardens
• The property (multiple pavilions)

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About Recinta Modernista | Sant Pau Hospital‍

The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site was designed by Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and is one of Barcelona's architectural gems.

Domènech i Montaner, who also designed other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Barcelona, was commissioned by the hospital board and the executors of Pau Gil's estate. Pau Gil was a wealthy benefactor, who had left funds in his will to build a modern hospital in Barcelona.

The building is known by various names, including:

• "Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site,"
• "Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau,"
• "Recinte Modernista Sant Pau,"
• "Sant Pau Hospital," the property stands out for its architectural and historical significance.

Domènech i Montaner envisioned the site as a complex of pavilions connected by underground tunnels, built on the grounds of an old mediaeval hospital. While his original plan called for 48 pavilions, only 27 were constructed, with 16 adhering to his Modernista vision.

Domènech i Montaner's design aimed to uplift patients' spirits by integrating architectural beauty and natural elements. The site features mosaic art, colourful roof tiles, intricate arches, and other artistic details and each building was dedicated to a different medical specialty.

Sadly, Domènech i Montaner passed away in December 1923 before the project was completed. His son, Pere Domènech i Roura, took over and finished it and King Alfonso XIII officially opened the hospital in January 1930 as ‘Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau’.

In 1978, the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site was declared a Historic Artistic Monument, and it achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1997. It remains a popular tourist attraction.

The hospital functioned as a medical facility until 2009, when operations moved to a new location to accommodate growing demands and space requirements. The Modernista buildings were then meticulously restored, transforming into the renowned Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site that is incredibly popular today.

‍The Buildings

The Main Building

The main building is the entrance and offers an amazing facade. This is where the patients were admitted to the hospital. The main building is also where visitors will see the underground tunnel entrance points that connect the various pavilions and hospital wards and were used to transfer patients between the buildings.

‍Sant Salvador Pavilion

In the Sant Salvador Pavilion you will find a space used for exhibiting the history of medicine in Barcelona. It shows a range of medical equipment and materials as well as architectural elements and models. This exhibit also shows the history of the hospitals heritage.

Sant Rafael Pavilion

Another of the pavilions, the Sant Rafael Pavilion is home to a display showing what the hospital looked like when it was built. It also includes old medical tools and the beds used at the time.

‍The Gardens

As well as the buildings, the Recinta Modernista Sant Pau also offers a beautiful garden. Its suggested that Doménech i Montaner took inspiration from the garden city movement in the design and one of the purposes of the gardens was supposedly to grow medical plants which would have in turn been used for their medicinal purposes in the hospital on patients. Now the gardens are home to plants from all over the world.