Partial revitalization of the Cinco Llagas Hospital in Sevilla as the Seat of the Parliament of Andalucía

Abstract

The Hospital of the Cinco Llagas of Sevilla was designed by Martín Gaínza in the middle of XVI century. It had patient's rooms disposed in the form of a double cross surrounded by patios with exterior perimetric aisles making up a large rectangular floor. The church, created by Hernán Ruiz el Mozo, is located in the principal patio and, with its height and its grim volume, it dominates the horizontal mass of the whole, representing a magnificent background for the esplanade which separates it from the Almohad city walls. Tills remarkable building which had preserved its medical function until a little longer than a decade ago, has been the seat of the Parliament of Andalucía since 28 February, 1992. This article is a brief summary of the history of the Hospital, its condition at the beginning of the eighties and of the studies, projects and the works carried out on the building in order to restore it and adapt it to the new use.