Reial Acadèmia de Medicina de Catalunya

The Reial Acadèmia de Medicina de Catalunya is an important academic institution founded in 1770. It is part of the buildings comprising the old Hospital de Santa Creu, together with the Casa de la Convalescència and Reial Acadèmia de Farmàcia de Catalunya. They were the centres of healthcare in Barcelona for more than 500 years.

Since 1929, the academy's headquarters have been housed in the former College of Surgeons, one of the most important neoclassical buildings you'll find in Barcelona. It was designed by the architect Ventura Rodríguez and built between 1762 and 1763. Its main purpose was to train surgeons for the army, although it also assisted the civilian population.

This guided tour will take you to the spectacular 18th-century anatomical amphitheatre, with its circular layout and spherical dome. The amphitheatre has stained-glass windows and baroque-style ornamentation. From the stone seats, people would watch anatomical dissections and the occasional operation. The most eye-catching element is the outstanding marble dissecting table, which is one of the few surviving examples in Europe. Around the table, you'll find two rows of gilded rococo-style chairs. These were for the students who didn't want to miss a single detail of the practical classes.

Many renowned professors taught in these rooms. They included Pere Virgili, Antoni de Gimbernat and the Nobel prize winner, Santiago Ramón y Cajal.

During the guided tour you'll also be able to visit the library, containing hundreds of doctoral theses. One of the most important is the one by Dolors Aleu, the first woman scientist to practise medicine in Barcelona.