The Sagrada Familia and the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site Highlight Their Connection Through a Joint Exhibition

The Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site has hosted the opening of the exhibition “The Sagrada Familia and Sant Pau Hospital: A Living Memory”, which highlights the connection between the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia and the former Hospital de Sant Pau through the urban axis of Avenue Gaudí. The initiative reclaims this route as a space of connection between two of the most emblematic works of Catalan Modernisme and invites visitors to explore the historical, architectural and social ties they share.

The exhibition delves into the unique character of both sites and their relationship with the neighbourhood and the city. On the one hand, the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece, is presented as a universal symbol of creativity and spirituality, closely linked to the local community since the beginning of its construction. On the other hand, the former Hospital de Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, exemplifies the application of Modernisme values to hospital architecture, integrating light, colour and nature as elements that contribute to people’s well-being.

The initiative includes exhibition installations at both ends of Avenue Gaudí, banners and promotional signage along the route, and an exhibition consisting of seven display cubes and an introductory cube at Sant Pau Hospital, allowing visitors to gain deeper insight into the shared history of these two iconic landmarks of Barcelona’s heritage.

The opening ceremony took place in the 1902 Hall of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and featured speeches by Mr Esteve Camps, Executive Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sagrada Familia; Mr Javier Villamayor, Acting Administrator of the Private Foundation of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; and Marta Otzet, Director of Culture, Social Action and Education at the Sagrada Familia. Members of the Board of Trustees of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, members of its Executive Committee, members of the Gaudí Council and representatives of local neighbourhood organisations also attended. The event concluded with a group photograph and an institutional tour of the exhibition.

With free admission and open to all citizens, the exhibition will remain open until 15 November. The exhibition forms part of both the programme commemorating the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and the celebration of the 625th anniversary of the Private Foundation of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, two milestones that throughout 2026 invite the public to rediscover the heritage, history and legacy of two institutions deeply connected to the city of Barcelona.

The full programme can be consulted through this link: https://sagradafamilia2026.org/ & https://www.santpau.cat/ca/625aniversari