Hospicio Cabañas

The Hospicio Cabañas in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico is one of the oldest and largest hospital complexes in Spanish America and a World Heritage Site.

The complex was founded in 1791 by the Bishop of Guadalajara in order to combine the functions of a workhouse, hospital, orphanage, and almshouse. It owes its name to Juan Ruiz de Cabañas who was appointed to the see of Guadalajara in 1796 and engaged Manuel Tolsá, a renowned architect from Mexico City, to design the structure.

Tolsá's design was based on such classic examples as Les Invalides in Paris and El Escorial near Madrid. The buildings form a rectangle measuring 164 m by 145 m. These are single-storey structures which have 7.5 m in height. The chapel is twice as high and has a dome rising to the height of 32.5 m. The complex is erected on one level, "so as to facilitate the movement of the sick, the aged, and children."

Following the death of Cabañas in 1823, construction lasted until 1829. Although it served for a time as a barracks in the mid-19th century, the hospital lasted well into the 20th century and continued to function until 1980, when the Cabañas Cultural Institute, with affiliated schools for arts and crafts, moved in. The highlight of interior decoration is a series of monumental frescoes by José Clemente Orozco, including one of his finest creations, the allegory of The Man of Fire (1936-39).