THE OLD HOSPITAL 

 

The building that houses the municipal hospital, built from the structure of a large country house that was the object of successive refurbishments and extensions in the 14th century, with a large-scale remodelling in the 18th century. Of the original building, inside, the vestibule is still in a good state, retaining the ceiling with lunettes and the stone staircase that leads up to the first floor. Beside the house, we find the Dolors church, with its single nave, Baroque façade and steepled belfry.

The hospital was run thanks to donations from individuals or institutions. A large benefactor was Martí Serrà i Avellí (1713-1785), a native of Palafrugell, who made his fortune in Guatemala and who, on his death, left a legacy of 10,000 pesos.

In 1852, the Puríssima Concepció nuns tended to the sick. From 1859, it was the Carmelites de la Caritat Vedruna and then, the Sant Josep nuns, who continued this work until 1989.

In its final stage, it functioned as a geriatric home (from 1983) and a day centre (from 1998). In 2009, these services were moved to the Palafrugell Foundation for the Elderly’s new facilities, in the Pi Verd area.