A hospital since 1401
In 1401 six small medieval hospitals merged into the Hospital de la Santa Creu. Five centuries later, the city needed something bigger, and the banker Pau Gil's legacy paid for this one.
Urban Tales › Barcelona › Sant Pau Recinte Modernista
Sant Pau: a hospital designed to heal
Built between 1901 and 1930 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the Hospital de Sant Pau treated patients until 2009. Its 12 Modernista pavilions, joined by underground tunnels, form the largest Art Nouveau complex in the world.
Built1901–1930
ArchitectLluís Domènech i Montaner
Hospital until2009
UNESCOsince 1997
Hear the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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Gardens and tunnels
Instead of one big block, Domènech i Montaner designed separate pavilions surrounded by gardens, with light and fresh air, joined by underground galleries for moving patients.
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From wards to culture
When a new hospital opened next door in 2009, the old pavilions were restored. They reopened in 2014 as a cultural centre and offices for international organisations.
TipIt's a 15-minute walk up Avinguda de Gaudí from the Sagrada Família: the avenue lines up the two buildings. Go in the morning when the tiles catch the light. With Urban Tales running, its story plays as you arrive.
Nearby landmarks
Sant Pau Recinte Modernista: common questions
Is Sant Pau still a hospital?
Not the Modernista pavilions. The hospital moved to a new building next door in 2009; the old complex reopened in 2014 as a cultural centre you can visit.
Who designed the Hospital de Sant Pau?
Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who also built the Palau de la Música Catalana.
Is Sant Pau worth visiting?
If you like Gaudí, yes: it's the largest Art Nouveau complex in the world and far less crowded than the Sagrada Família.