In the late 14th century, Barcelona had a network of care centers for the most disadvantaged, but they had become too small and inefficient. The black plague and crop-damaging plagues took a terrible toll: around 1340 the city had about 40,000 inhabitants, but by the mid-15th century the figure had fallen to 20,000; that is, it had lost 50% of its inhabitants in just one century. "More than an absolute degradation, the real problem was the lack of efficiency," explains Antoni Conejo, an art historian specializing in medieval architecture and hospitals. Faced with this, it was proposed to merge six of these small centers into a single institution: the Hospital de la Santa Creu. The first stone was laid on April 17, 1401, 625 years ago. The official foundation took place on September 5 of the same year with the authorization of Pope Benedict XIII. The great hospital was one of the first, if not the earliest, on the European continent to promote a merger of this type. The black plague and plagues that damaged crops caused real havoc: around 1340 the city had about 40,000 inhabitants, but by the mid-15th century the figure had fallen to 20,000; that is, it had lost 50% of its inhabitants in just one century. "More than an absolute degradation, the real problem was the lack of efficiency," explains Antoni Conejo, an art historian specializing in medieval architecture and hospitals. Faced with this, it was proposed to merge six of these small centers into a single institution: the Hospital de la Santa Creu. The first stone was laid on April 17, 1401, 625 years ago. The official foundation took place on September 5 of the same year with the authorization of Pope Benedict XIII. The great hospital was one of the first, if not the earliest, on the European continent to promote a merger of this type.

HeFormer Hospital of the Holy Cross It has a long history. King Martin the Humane witnessed the laying of the building's foundation stone on February 13, 1401. It was a huge, pioneering building for its time, located where the Biblioteca de Catalunya now stands, and it united six hospitals. It was in operation until 1926 and left behind a very important documentary and archaeological legacy.