Post by habiba123820 on Nov 9, 2024 5:10:26 GMT
If you read our places to visit in Reus , you might have been a little shocked when we suggested a psychiatric hospital … Ok, the visitable wing, the former pavilion for the distinguished of the Institut Pere Mata , is no longer active, it has been converted into a museum. But the psychiatric hospital is still there, in the adjoining buildings. We have visited strange places all over the world, but in Reus it was the first time we set foot in a centre dedicated to mental health for tourism… And we are going to show you that it made perfect sense: that pavilion for the distinguished of the Institut Pere Mata is a true modernist jewel , the work of one of the great architects of Catalan modernism: Lluís Domènech i Montaner . We were amazed by the colours! And by its colours!
Istitut Pere Mata Reus Modernism Superior Gallery Salto
Jumping in the upper gallery of the Istitut Pere Mata in Reus
It is by no means the only modernist building in Reus , and the fact that there is a modernist route in the city gives us some clues. But it is the oldest, from the end of the 19th century, one of the most wordpress web design agency important, competing for that title with Casa Navàs, and the most peculiar, due to the use for which it was designed. However, it has everything you would expect from a modernist building: sgraffito, stained glass, ceramics and other very colourful decoration, always inspired by nature, but without losing its functionality. The truth is that it gave us the feeling of being in a spa or a boutique hotel rather than a hospital.
We tell you all about the visit to the modernist pavilion of the Institut Pere Mata in Reus . You too can say that you have done tourism in an old psychiatric hospital and that it was very much worth it.
A little history of the Institut Pere Mata in Reus
The Institut Pere Mata is an institution in the field of mental health. It is one of the first modern psychiatric hospitals built in Spain , at the end of the 19th century, and one of the best hospitals of its kind in all of Europe. Yes, “it” is in the present tense, because we have already said that it is still active, although the part that interests us has been opened to tourism and turned into a museum .
What to See in Reus Institut Pere Mata Salon
The main hall of the distinguished pavilion
At that time, mental illness was highly stigmatised – and still is today – and this institution was a pioneer in the creation of a centre to treat patients with the dignity they deserve. The then Reus Mental Hospital – Institut Pere Mata since 1910 – followed the most advanced healthcare criteria in Europe and the architecture of Lluís Domènech i Montaner was in line with them.
Did you know that…?
You may know Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the architect of another, more famous hospital: the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona . The psychiatric centre in Reus was built before then and the great research work he did here was used for his later work, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with the Palau de la Música Catalana .
The Institut Pere Mata has remained active as a mental institution since its opening – now as a university hospital – with a single “pause” during the Civil War. The psychiatric patients were evacuated and it was converted into a field hospital to care for the Republican wounded on the Ebro front.
What to see in the modernist building?
At the time, there was also a charity pavilion, and the initial project, which was never completed, included more spaces, for example a women's pavilion. What can be visited today is the part of the preserved historic building with the greatest architectural interest: the former pavilion for the distinguished of the Institut Pere Mata . It was the pavilion dedicated to the mentally ill from the wealthiest families. After all, Reus was, at the time, the second city in Catalonia after Barcelona: there were many wealthy bourgeoisie.
Istitut Pere Mata Reus Modernism Superior Gallery Salto
Jumping in the upper gallery of the Istitut Pere Mata in Reus
It is by no means the only modernist building in Reus , and the fact that there is a modernist route in the city gives us some clues. But it is the oldest, from the end of the 19th century, one of the most wordpress web design agency important, competing for that title with Casa Navàs, and the most peculiar, due to the use for which it was designed. However, it has everything you would expect from a modernist building: sgraffito, stained glass, ceramics and other very colourful decoration, always inspired by nature, but without losing its functionality. The truth is that it gave us the feeling of being in a spa or a boutique hotel rather than a hospital.
We tell you all about the visit to the modernist pavilion of the Institut Pere Mata in Reus . You too can say that you have done tourism in an old psychiatric hospital and that it was very much worth it.
A little history of the Institut Pere Mata in Reus
The Institut Pere Mata is an institution in the field of mental health. It is one of the first modern psychiatric hospitals built in Spain , at the end of the 19th century, and one of the best hospitals of its kind in all of Europe. Yes, “it” is in the present tense, because we have already said that it is still active, although the part that interests us has been opened to tourism and turned into a museum .
What to See in Reus Institut Pere Mata Salon
The main hall of the distinguished pavilion
At that time, mental illness was highly stigmatised – and still is today – and this institution was a pioneer in the creation of a centre to treat patients with the dignity they deserve. The then Reus Mental Hospital – Institut Pere Mata since 1910 – followed the most advanced healthcare criteria in Europe and the architecture of Lluís Domènech i Montaner was in line with them.
Did you know that…?
You may know Lluís Domènech i Montaner as the architect of another, more famous hospital: the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona . The psychiatric centre in Reus was built before then and the great research work he did here was used for his later work, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with the Palau de la Música Catalana .
The Institut Pere Mata has remained active as a mental institution since its opening – now as a university hospital – with a single “pause” during the Civil War. The psychiatric patients were evacuated and it was converted into a field hospital to care for the Republican wounded on the Ebro front.
What to see in the modernist building?
At the time, there was also a charity pavilion, and the initial project, which was never completed, included more spaces, for example a women's pavilion. What can be visited today is the part of the preserved historic building with the greatest architectural interest: the former pavilion for the distinguished of the Institut Pere Mata . It was the pavilion dedicated to the mentally ill from the wealthiest families. After all, Reus was, at the time, the second city in Catalonia after Barcelona: there were many wealthy bourgeoisie.