Hospital de la Santa Caridad, Seville

The full visit takes in three main spaces that trace the evolution of this charitable institution. The tour lasts around 60 minutes and combines Baroque architecture, painted masterpieces and the social history of Seville since the 15th century.

Once it reopens, the spaces open to visitors will be the main courtyard, entered through the old gatehouse, the Chapter Hall with Miguel Mañara's personal belongings, and the Church of San Jorge, which holds the complex's main artworks.

The church represents Sevillian Baroque at its best, with a single nave covered by a barrel vault. The exterior façade shows high-quality tilework and sculptures of the patron saints St George and St James in the upper sections, alongside the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity.

Lower down are sculptures of two sainted kings: St Ferdinand, king of Castile, and St Louis, king of France. The interior decorative programme is built around charity and mercy, following the iconographic scheme Miguel Mañara set out to convey his message to the faithful.

The main altarpiece is the crowning work of Bernardo Simón de Pineda and one of the key pieces of Spanish altarpiece art. Its structure works like a stage set that completes the church's architecture and frames the depiction of the Burial of Christ. The whole composition culminates in the landscape of Mount Calvary, painted by Valdés Leal as the backdrop to the scene.

Miguel Mañara designed a three-part iconographic programme to convey his message about Christian charity. He commissioned the era's finest painters so every visitor would grasp the importance of helping those in need.

The essential works to see: Valdés Leal's Hieroglyphs of Death (In Ictu Oculi and Finis Gloriae Mundi), which show the vanity of worldly glory; Murillo's Works of Mercy, depicting acts of charity such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked; the Hieroglyphs of Death in the lower choir, conveying the message of life's fleetingness; and the main altarpiece by Bernardo Simón de Pineda, the crowning work depicting the Burial of Christ.

The third part of the programme addresses humility as a fundamental Christian virtue. Together they form one of the most complete pictorial cycles of Spanish Baroque, reflecting 17th-century religious thinking about death and salvation.

After entering the Hospital de la Caridad through the old gatehouse, you reach the main courtyard, with fountains surrounded by columns and beautifully decorated with Sevillian tiles. This space reflects the typical architecture of 17th-century hospitals and works as a hub connecting the complex's different rooms.

The Chapter Hall holds personal belongings of Miguel Mañara, along with paintings related to the history of the Brotherhood of the Santa Caridad. Here you can see items that belonged to the founder, which help explain his personality and his spiritual transformation.

The rooms of the Brotherhood's house show how this institution operated for more than five centuries. The spaces retain their original furnishings and decoration, giving a sense of the daily life of those who dedicated themselves to caring for Seville's most vulnerable people.

The Brotherhood of the Santa Caridad was founded in the 15th century. Its task was to bury the executed, the drowned and those condemned to death. It also took care of the dead during epidemics. It was a pious but modest undertaking.

Everything changed when Miguel Mañara arrived in 1663. Appointed head of the brotherhood, he transformed it completely. Mañara was a wealthy man who decided to devote his life to helping Seville's poor.

Mañara built the hospital on the site of the old shipyards, commissioned by Alfonso X in the 13th century. He also built the Church of San Jorge and a special area for terminally ill patients that other institutions turned away.

Mañara's transformation was radical: he went from being a libertine young man to becoming Seville's greatest benefactor. He spent his personal fortune building this hospital and keeping it running.

The institution is still active after 350 years. It still cares for elderly people without means. Money from visitor tickets goes towards maintaining the building and caring for its residents.

The hospital was built in 1663 on the site of the 13th-century shipyards commissioned by Alfonso X. Miguel de Mañara converted them into a hospital and added the Church of San Jorge. It stands in the Arenal quarter, outside Seville's old city walls, a fitting location for caring for people others turned away.

The complex's main spaces are the main courtyard, with fountains ringed by columns and Sevillian tiles; the Church of San Jorge, a single nave with a barrel vault and a tiled façade; the Chapter Hall, holding Miguel Mañara's personal belongings; and the original gatehouse, with 17th-century access and period decoration.

The materials are typical of Seville: local stone, exposed brick, tiles from Triana workshops and decorative plasterwork. Everything follows the 17th-century Sevillian Baroque style, blending religious architecture with a charitable purpose.

The Hospital de la Santa Caridad is temporarily closed for restoration work. There's no confirmed date for reopening to the public. During the works, care for the elderly residents continues, but tourist visits aren't allowed.

Before it closed, the hospital opened Monday to Saturday, with guided visits included in the ticket price, plus discounts for students and seniors.

It's located at Calle Temprado, 3, in the Arenal quarter, 74 metres from the Santa Cruz quarter, 140 metres from the Archive of the Indies and 197 metres from Seville Cathedral.

Proceeds from tickets have always gone towards maintaining the hospital and caring for the elderly residents who live there. To stay informed about the reopening, check the official website of the Brotherhood of the Santa Caridad or Seville's tourist offices.

The hospital sits in Seville's historic centre, very close to the main monuments. You can get there on Metro line L1 or by bus lines 3, 1401 and 21.

During the temporary closure you can still see the exterior façade of the Church of San Jorge from the street. The tile decoration and the sculptures on the doorway are perfectly visible from outside.

Its location makes it easy to combine with other monuments: the Santa Cruz quarter is 74 metres away, the Archive of the Indies 140 metres, and the Cathedral less than 200 metres. Once it reopens, the visit will last around 60 minutes and take in the main courtyard, the Chapter Hall and the Church of San Jorge, with its works by Murillo and Valdés Leal.