It took about 15 years to be build, including the small gothic church and several wings and porches that surround the central garden.

In 1854 a cholera epidemic forced to relocate many patients to another hospital in a nearby town. Due to the growth of the city and consequent increase of patients, it was decided to move all the patients to another hospital and architectural emblem of the city: the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, near the Sagrada Família.

After that, the city hall of Barcelona bought this hospital and during the reconstruction Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu by Gratis in Barcelona converted it into the Library of Catalonia, the Catalan Studies Institute, the Royal Academy of Medicine, the Escola Massana and two public libraries.

What you really do not have to miss is its garden: a small oasis of calm and green in the middle of the vivid city of Barcelona. You can still see the Arab influence in the presence of a fountain, the orange trees and galleries around it. Just 15 minutes in this garden will help you to relax before continuing your visit of the city.

In this garden you will find many people reading, sometimes are a small group of musicians playing or painters. The small coffee bar close at the entrance offers a good menu for a fair price.

It was in this hospital that the famous modernist architect Antoni Gaudí died.