Hospital Real, Gothic hospital building in Granada, Spain
The Hospital Real is a Gothic building in Granada with four symmetrical courtyards at its corners. The Marble Courtyard features twenty arches and royal coats of arms displayed throughout.
The Catholic Monarchs founded the Hospital Real in 1526 to provide medical care for war casualties and sick people following the Granada War. The building emerged as a response to the region's need for modern medical facilities.
The building blends Gothic, Renaissance, and Mudéjar architectural styles, showing the mix of influences that shaped Granada during the 16th century. You can see these different traditions reflected in the rooms and courtyards as you walk through the complex.
The building is located at Avenida del Hospicio 1 and now serves as the headquarters of the University of Granada and houses its central library. Visitors can explore the publicly accessible areas, with the courtyards and staircases being particularly worth seeing.
The library housed within dates to 1526 and contains numerous early printed books and important bibliographic works from printing's earliest days. This collection documents the intellectual knowledge that emerged in Europe during that formative period.
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