Avenida de Portugal 58, Medina del Campo, Spain, is home to an architectural complex that once housed one of the most ambitious hospitals of its time. Known as the Hospital of Simón Ruiz, it was founded in 1593 by Jesuit Juan de Tolosa at the request of merchant Simón Ruiz, a significant figure in the royal court of Carlos V and Felipe II. Despite its grand title, it is not the hospital but a hospital complex, built to serve the visitors who attended the commercial fairs in Medina del Campo, then one of the most important commercial centers in Spain.
The construction of the complex involved workers from Segovia, specifically Andrés Francisco and Antonio López, as well as stonecutters Juan del Barrio and Juan de Nates. The complex has a quadrangular courtyard with a portico of two stories, formed by thick square pillars and galleries of semi-circular arches that are covered with cross vaults. The main facade, facing the lonja, shows the Coats of Arms of Simón Ruiz. There are two main doors marked with stone, one on the left gives access to the hospital complex and the other to the Jesuit-style church, with a cruciform plant, with lateral interconnected chapels.
The hospital complex was built from the unification of all the assistance cofradías in Medina del Campo, except for the Hospital of Barrientos.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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