Description

At the end of Carrer de la Mercè, before you reach the Domican complex of the Reials Col·legis (Royal Colleges), where the Plaça dels Estudis stands today, was formerly the site of the medieval Grammar School, built in the early 14th Century. From the 1760s onwards, the Grammar School was modified and replaced by the new Hospital de la Santa Creu, which was originally located outside the city walls. The building acted as a dam and drainage wall in the event of floods from the adjacent valley.

Key features of this grand building include the padded architrave doorway above which there is an inscription that reminds us of the building’s function, giving it a dignified and enhanced appearance. The figures that overlook the doorway are the work of the Aragonese sculptor Francisco del Condado. At a certain height on the corners of the main façade, there are two attractive epigraphs of the city’s coat-of-arms.

Between 1914 and the 1940s, the building was home to the City Council. It is currently used as the courthouse.