Sant Pau opens free tomorrow, 15 March, for its 625th anniversary in Barcelona

Tomorrow, Sunday 15 March, the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau opens from 9:30–19:00 FREE to celebrate its 625 years since 1401, but online registration is already at its limit — book now at santpaubarcelona.org because places are filling up quickly. The day includes Cor Vivaldi (11h/11:45h Sala Domènech i Montaner), Ara Martí Quartet jazz-bossa nova in the gardens (12h/17:30h), storyteller sessions by nurse Adela Simón for children aged 5+ (10h/12h/17h), Fundación Victoria de los Ángeles lied jam (12:30h–14h) and BCN Swing dancing (13h). Metro L5 Sagrada Família (5 min walk), limited parking, not accessible for wheelchairs in some interior areas.

Next Sunday, 15 March 2026, the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau in Barcelona is organising a commemorative day to celebrate the 625th anniversary of the founding of the Hospital de la Santa Creu. The institution was founded in 1401 when the Cathedral and the Consell de Cent de Barcelona decided to bring several medieval hospitals together in a single healthcare centre. Since then, Sant Pau has evolved in parallel with the city, combining healthcare, teaching and heritage.

The open day will allow the public and Sant Pau staff to enjoy the modernist complex free of charge, but with prior registration through the hospital website. Throughout the day, cultural and family activities will be offered, including exhibitions, screenings, an interactive game and musical performances. The event forms part of an annual programme of activities that will include talks, exhibitions, concerts and other free days to publicise the institution’s historical and care milestones.

History and context of the Modernist Complex

The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is one of the world’s most important modernist complexes. Designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1902 and 1930 as a garden city intended to unite hospital facilities and improve healthcare. The complex is made up of 27 pavilions decorated with mosaics, polychrome tiles, stained glass and sculptures; its gardens aided patients’ recovery. The integration of art and nature, as well as its ornamental richness, made Sant Pau a reference point for Catalan modernism and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The former hospital operated for almost a century and was moved to a new building at the beginning of the 21st century; since 2009, the modernist complex has been restored as a cultural and tourist space, with museums, exhibitions and room hire. Atlas Obscura notes that Sant Pau is “the largest art nouveau complex in the world” with more than six centuries of history.

Programme of activities (15 March)

The programme planned for the commemorative day combines cultural proposals for all ages. According to the official calendar, activities will take place in different spaces in the complex:

625th anniversary commemorative exhibition – A chronological tour of the main milestones in the hospital’s history.

Audiovisual on the history of Sant Pau – A screening that uses the complex’s mosaics as a common thread to explain the hospital’s development.

Interactive game – A circuit of 12 tests accessible from a mobile phone; it invites visitors to observe the architecture, gardens and decorative elements.

Storytelling about nurse Adela Simón – Sessions at 10 h, 12 h and 17 h in the Sala Pau Gil for families with children aged 5 and over. It requires prior registration and allows visitors to tour the complex with the same ticket.

Performance by Cor Vivaldi – A concert in the Sala Domènech i Montaner at 11 h and 11:45 h featuring works linked to different moments in the hospital’s history.

Performance by Ara Martí Quartet – Two sessions (12 h and 17:30 h) in the complex gardens with jazz, boleros and bossa nova.

Lied jam with Fundación Victoria de los Ángeles – A lied session with singers and pianists, from 12:30 h to 14 h in the Sala Domènech i Montaner.

Swing dancing with BCN Swing – Dancing and live music at 13 h in the gardens