Hospital del Estudio, Medieval university hospital in Salamanca, Spain
The Hospital del Estudio is a medieval university building in Salamanca with a facade mixing Gothic and Plateresque styles, showing rounded arches, heraldic shields, and carved decorative details. Its interior layout connects a chapel, medical rooms, and student lodgings within the larger Patio de las Escuelas complex.
The building was founded in 1413 by King John II of Castile and Queen Eleanor of Navarre to provide medical care and housing for student patients. Major renovations between 1483 and 1492 restructured the building, adding new rooms and redesigning the chapel to create its current layout.
The building shows how medieval people linked faith and medicine, placing a chapel directly alongside the medical spaces for students. This arrangement reveals how prayer and treatment were seen as parts of the same care.
The building today serves as an administrative center for the University of Salamanca within the Patio de las Escuelas complex. Visitors can view the exterior facade and courtyard freely, getting a sense of the medieval architecture and university setting.
The building displays a rare blend of architectural elements from two different periods, with earlier Gothic details layered with later Plateresque ornaments on its same facade. This layering of styles is visible on the campus itself and documents construction changes across generations.
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