Santiago's hospital

Hospital de Santiago (1562–1575). Site of Cultural Interest (BIC). Architectural style: Renaissance. It ceased operating as a hospital in 1975 and now serves as a Conference and Exhibition Centre and Cultural Centre. It has been a listed National Monument since 1917 and is one of the most iconic and representative buildings in the City of the Hills.

It is a magnificent example of healthcare and charitable architecture in our country. It was founded by the illustrious Ubetan Don Diego de los Cobos y Molina, who commissioned the work to the architect Andrés de Vandelvira.

The Hospital de Santiago represents a departure from the traditional way of building hospitals, as it is a building that combines different functions: hospital, palace and chapel-pantheon. The result is a masterpiece of the Andalusian Renaissance that blends civil and religious elements.

It features a wide façade flanked by two towers and a simple entrance portal, above which Santiago Matamoros, patron saint of Spain, appears in relief. Inside, the layout centres on three courtyards, the most notable of which is the central one with its double gallery of columns and arches, from which the church is accessed. A magnificent monumental staircase completes the complex, which displays an extraordinary iconographic programme of an allegorical-moral nature. It was built outside the city walls to prevent the spread of disease among the population, as those suffering from buboes were admitted there.

Located on Úbeda’s main shopping street, it combines the vibrancy of city life with the rich and varied cultural and leisure activities that characterise this city. Many of the city’s most significant events are held here throughout the year. In short, it is a place where knowledge, culture and economic activity come together.