Horta-Guinardó

It was 9:00a by the time we left the ship. Most of our shipmates were already long gone. Some because Barcelona was the end of the cruise for them. Others because they were on tours that had an early start. Not us … we planned to have an easy-going day.

As we did yesterday, we took the port bus out to the Barcelona World Trade Center. Then we hopped in a taxi to take us to a hospital. Not just any hospital, mind you, but to one that is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Owned by the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Foundation, the Sant Pau Art Nouveau site — Sant Pau, for short — is described in the brochure that we were given as a “… jewel of Modernista architecture.” The institution was built between 1902-1930 by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and served as a hospital from 1916 to 2009 when the new hospital went into service.

But don’t let these dates fool you. The hospital and city have a shared history of over six centuries. Santa Creu was founded in 1401 as the general hospital for the Catalan capital, and evolved over the centuries, playing a vital role in the modernization of the city and Catalonia. The one difference? The original hospital was an example of Gothic architecture; the one we visited today is an example of Modernisme … as Catalan Art Nouveau is known.

We explored the site in total awe, flabbergasted by the amazing decorative details everywhere … in and on buildings that were designed to provide medical services. That the site deserves its UNESCO inscription goes without saying. Not all of the buildings were open for visitors to check out … not all have been restored to their former glory. The ones that have, however … well, mamma mia!

We wandered the grounds around which the free-standing buildings sit, connected by at least a half mile worth of tunnels through which patients and doctors used to move easily … and supplies used to be brought into the facility. Gardens and conservatories provided a place for ambulatory patients and their visitors to meet, stroll, and rest. The spacious facilities at every turn were a clear indication of how the wellbeing of patients was of foremost importance at Sant Pau.

The piéce de resistance, however, was the Administration Building. Its clock tower and band of mosaic scenes around the exterior were impressive enough, but the interior beat all that in spades. From the pink-tiled, domed ceiling of the foyer; to the octagonal stained glass skylight in the center of the ceiling over the main staircase; to the beautiful glass and tile work in the Domènech i Montaner Room … which had an impressive view of the grounds; to the gallery with its incredible tile ceiling and wall of glass doors letting in the clear light of the day.

An awe inspiring site … and just wow!Read more