Yzabelle Bostyn
JUST metres from Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia is a modernist masterpiece most tourists have never even heard of- here’s how to visit it.
Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Barcelona to marvel at Gaudi’s modernist architecture.
While the master’s buildings are truly works of art, many visitors miss stunning examples of modernist architecture by focussing only on the famed architect.
In fact, just a ten minute walk from the world famous Sagrada Familia is an undiscovered treasure few tourists know about.
A functioning hospital until 2009, the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau was opened to the public in 2014 and some ten years later, it remains a hidden gem.
In 1896, banker and philanthropist, Pau Gil, died stating in his will that his fortune should be used to build a new hospital.
Architect and teacher to Gaudi, Lluís Domènech i Montaner was enlisted to design the new complex, following both the latest sanitary recommendations and modernist flare.
Montaner designed a hospital constructed of separate pavillions connected by underground tunnels.
After admiring the intricate facade, it is in these tunnels that the visit really begins.
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Holograms and audio guides help you to imagine how this intricate structure functioned as a working hospital before you arrive at a small museum.
The signs relate how the hospital came to be, as well as revealing key facts about medicine during the early 19th century.
Construction began on the hospital in 1902 but would not be finished until 1930.
The visit continues upstairs where you can learn more about the architect behind the work in a ward adorned with serene blue tiles and vaulted ceilings.
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Outside, the red brick buildings decorated with detailed mosaics and colourful tiles make you feel like you’re in a castle and not an old hospital.
Take a moment to sit on one of the many benches and admire your surroundings, before exploring the many pavillions.
Some have been preserved as they were in 2014 to give an insight to life in the hospital, while others have been restored to their former glory.
One such building houses an interesting exhibition on modern medicine and at the end, you can view what a ward would have looked like.
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It is strange to see the hospital beds backed up against the stunning blue and pink tiled walls lined with flowers and it makes one wonder if we have lost our sense of beauty in favour of practicality in modern times.
Once you have seen all the pavillions, wander around the gardens and admire all the buildings, with their winding staircases and ornate towers which could be out of a fantasy novel.
But the wonders of Sant Pau aren’t only in the pavillions.
Head down the garden to the main building, where you will discover a pink, arched ceiling leading to mosaic tiled roofs and detailed stained glass.
On your way along the upper floor, make sure to admire the view of the Sagrada Familia, before saying your goodbye to one of the most gorgeous hospitals in the world.
To visit, you can buy tickets on the door but it’s better to make sure you book a place in advance.
Tickets start at just €17 and are available throughout the day.
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