- It began as the union of the old hospitals of the Holy Mercy and of San Lázaro, which were handed over to the Order of San Juan de Dios in 1619.
- The complex was made up of two courtyards, a church and the hospital itself, which was enlarged many times.
- With the last alterations, completed in 1957, it came to cover 12,000 square metres.
- It remained in use until October 1973, when it handed over its services to the newly opened Princesa Sofía Hospital.
- In the years that followed the building fell into a sorry state of neglect, until in 1992 it was restored as the seat of the Instituto de Estudios Giennenses.
More about this place…
In the old town of Jaén, the San Juan de Dios Hospital is today the seat of the Instituto de Estudios Giennenses and a usual venue for lectures. Its origins go back to the 15th century, although it was from 1619, when the Order of San Juan de Dios took it over, that it came to be known by its current name. It was the leading hospital in the province and one of the longest-running in Spain, staying open until 1973, the year Jaén’s new hospital complex was inaugurated. Today only the chapel and the original hospital building survive intact, and both have been restored. The youth hostel right next to it was built on one of the buildings of the old hospital, keeping its architecturally valuable façade.
