Hospital Tavera
16th-century Renaissance hospital with a church-pantheon, pharmacy and museum; it houses works by El Greco and the collection of the Dukes of Medinaceli.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Hospital Tavera, also known as the Hospital de San Juan Bautista, was founded by Cardinal Juan Pardo de Tavera, a close collaborator of Charles V. Work began in 1541 under the direction of Alonso de Covarrubias, master builder of the cathedral, and the building was conceived with a dual function: as a hospital for the needy and as the pantheon of its founder. Its classicist architecture paved the way for the architecture that would culminate in El Escorial, and artists such as Berruguete and El Greco took part in its construction and decoration.
The complex is organised around two Renaissance courtyards separated by a gallery that leads to the church-pantheon. There lies the cardinal's Carrara marble tomb, the last work by Alonso Berruguete, commissioned in 1552 and completed in 1561. In 1608 El Greco was commissioned to paint the church's altarpieces, but he only finished the two side ones, and his son Jorge Manuel continued the work. The sacristy houses the paintings and sculptures by El Greco that the hospital preserves, and beneath the crossing lies the funerary crypt. The pharmacy, designed in 1540–1541, is still equipped with the instruments of a hospital apothecary.
Today one wing of the former infirmaries houses a museum that reconstructs most of the surviving part of the original collection of paintings, furniture and decorative arts of the Dukes of Medinaceli. The building belongs to the Casa Ducal de Medinaceli (Medinaceli Ducal House), whose foundation runs it, and since 1989 a whole wing has been ceded to the Ministry of Culture for the archive of the Spanish nobility. The hospital was the setting for two films by Luis Buñuel, Viridiana and Tristana.
Highlights
- Paintings and sculptures by El Greco in the church and sacristy
- Tomb of Cardinal Tavera, the last work by Berruguete
- Hospital pharmacy with its instruments
- Museum with the collection of the Dukes of Medinaceli
- Renaissance courtyards designed by Covarrubias
- Setting for films by Luis Buñuel
Permanent exhibitions
- Museo del Hospital Tavera – Collection of paintings, furniture and decorative arts of the Dukes of Medinaceli in one wing of the former infirmaries.
- Iglesia y sacristía con obras de El Greco – Church-pantheon with the tomb of Cardinal Tavera, and the sacristy with the paintings and sculptures by El Greco that the hospital preserves.
- Operated by
- Fundación Casa Ducal de Medinaceli
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Groups (25+ people) | €10 per personPrice per person for groups of 25 people or more. |
The full ticket includes the museum, the church and the hospital pharmacy.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The hospital is about 300 metres from the Puerta de Bisagra in Toledo and a little over 30 minutes from Madrid.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The foundation organises private visits and can host events in the Renaissance courtyards and other adapted spaces.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits to the museum, church and pharmacy are made in accompanied groups, with departures every hour. |
