Iglesia y Hospital de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Religious and medical complex in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
The Iglesia y Hospital de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores is a combined church and hospital building featuring a rectangular chapel with wooden Mudéjar-style ceilings and a two-story medical facility with red stone window frames. The complex demonstrates how religious and medical functions occupied the same structure.
The building was founded in 1515 by Martín de Jerez following papal authorization from Pope Leo X in 1514. It was designed to replace the older Hospital de Nuestra Señora de la Antigua and became a major health facility in the city.
The main chapel displays an altarpiece with a Pieta sculpture showing the Virgin Mary mourning her deceased son. This religious artwork conveys the spiritual purpose that shaped how people used this place.
The site is a protected cultural property where visitors can view the exterior and observe the architectural details from the street. Keep in mind this remains an active religious center, so interior access may depend on current activities or services taking place.
During the bubonic plague epidemic of 1582, the facility reached maximum capacity, forcing the city to open additional medical centers to handle patient overflow. This event reveals how essential this place was for public health during times of crisis.
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