Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Colonial hospital in Cercado de Lima, Peru
The Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo is a former colonial hospital in Cercado de Lima with four wings arranged in a Greek cross pattern. The building sits in the historic Barrios Altos neighborhood and is currently being restored to become a Cultural Center and Museum of Peruvian Medicine.
The hospital was founded in 1552 under Viceroy Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza and served as the primary medical center for Spanish and Creole residents of Lima. It later housed Peru's first anatomical theater in 1792 and became the home of San Fernando Medical School.
The building's layout with four wings arranged in a Greek cross shape reflects how colonial doctors organized patient care and daily medical work. Walking through these spaces shows how medical practice was structured during that period.
The building is located at Jirón Huallaga 846 in the Cercado district and is currently under restoration, so check ahead about access conditions before visiting. The site sits in central Lima and is most easily reached on foot from other old town landmarks.
Excavations between 2002 and 2005 uncovered a colonial cemetery beneath the second cloister, revealing burial practices from the viceroyalty period. These discoveries shed light on how medical care and the treatment of the deceased functioned in that era.
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