The Art Nouveau Site of Sant Pau, including the Sant Pau Gardens, is an architectural jewel of Catalan Modernism. I arrive here on a cool November morning. I have walked from my Barcelona accommodation near Las Ramblas not really knowing what to expect. I’m both awed and inspired by what I find.
Sant Pau
Built between 1902 and 1930, Sant Pau was home to the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau from 1916 to 2009.
The project was conceived as a city within the city, an exceptional demonstration of the creative genius of Lluis Domènech i Montaner. Montaner is remembered as one of the great European architects. This Art Nouveau Site, which served Barcelona as an innovative, cutting edge hospital, is today a knowledge centre that hosts equally innovative institutions.
See also in this series:
The Gardens
Montaner conceived of the gardens as a way of bringing the patients closer to nature. He combined this patient centric concept with good environmental sustainability with a parallel aim of purifying the air.
There are two types of garden here. The winter gardens are on display today. Pavilions lined with trees that shed their leaves and allow rays of light through. Natural sunlight on a winter’s day to lift the patient’s spirits and promote healing. Orange trees laden with fruit that perfume as well as purify the air. Another bonus is that the fruit provides vitamin C in the colder months.
In summer the gardens have plenty of trees that offer shade.
Originally, the central passageway of the gardens featured a line of chestnut trees on one side and lime trees on the other. The chestnut trees gradually disappeared, however, and lime trees now predominate. Many of the existing trees are original and were planted in the 1920s.
I can just imagine walking through here or sitting in the shade as orange blossom fills the air. And they’re not just for show. Even today the bitter oranges are collected to make orange marmalade. The tradition that dates back to a doctor from the hospital who would collect the oranges and make marmalade. He distributed the marmalade amongst the health workers in his service. Orange marmalade from the oranges can still be found here, for purchase in the souvenir shop.
All the plants in the Sant Pau gardens also serve a medicinal function. The scents of lavender, thyme, sage and laurel infuse the atmosphere. The aromas are a testament to those planted by the Sisters Hospitallers and used to make ointments and creams for the patients.
Good To Know
The Sant Pau Pavilion is part of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau complex.
There are limits on capacity so be sure to book tickets and a guided tour early. I missed booking the guided tour and ended up with an audio guide. Failing a real guide, an audio guide is highly recommended. There is a lot of signage and, as it’s a large site, it may prove difficult to take in if you’re relying on reading everything. A guided tour would be even better.
Would I Return?
Yes. This is a beautiful place for some quiet reflection.