Old Psychiatric Hospital of St. Agatha, Neoclassical psychiatric hospital in Gesalibar, Arrasate/Mondragón, Spain.
The Old Psychiatric Hospital of St. Agatha is a neoclassical building with white walls, balanced proportions, and symmetrical design elements across multiple stories. The structure reflects the orderly approach to architecture that characterized medical institutions when the facility was first built.
The facility was founded in 1825 and operated under the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who managed it throughout its active years. This religious community shaped the provision of mental health care in the region for more than a century.
The hospital was long a central part of community life in Arrasate, where the religious order that ran it became known to residents over generations. Today the building stands as a reminder of how medical care and local identity were once deeply connected in this Basque town.
The building is located in the Barrio Gesalibar neighborhood and is now protected as a heritage site, so visits should be arranged in advance. Contact ahead to learn about possibilities for guided tours or accessing historical documentation about the facility.
During its operation, the facility served as one of the largest psychiatric institutions in the Basque region and employed a substantial workforce of medical staff and caregivers. Its role in the region's medical history is frequently overlooked by visitors, despite being an important example of how mental health care was organized at that time.
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