Guided Tour of San Juan de Dios: Renaissance Granada

Discover and explore 16th-century Granada through the lens of one of its most universal and iconic figures: Saint John of God. His work and actions are rooted in the sociocultural and historical-artistic context of the Granada Renaissance. These were times of profound urban and social transformation, when Christian Granada was gaining strength after nearly eight centuries of Hispano-Muslim culture.

On this special, themed tour, we will discover significant and moving events from the life of Juan de Dios, linked to the most iconic sites of 16th-century Granada—a city known for its Carolingian heritage and multiculturalism.

Granada and its residents in the 16th century witnessed the life and work of one of their most iconic and important figures: Saint John of God. The Hospitaller Order that bears his name is now present in 53 countries across five continents.

It all began in Granada in 1539.

After a lifetime of searching and living in different places while working in various professions—as a shepherd, soldier, construction worker, and traveling book seller—he decided to settle in Granada in 1538. He was 43 years old, and it was in this city that he discovered his true calling: to serve the most needy and the sick through the very essence of mercy. “May Jesus Christ grant me the time to establish a hospital and serve the sick as I wish.”

John of God is considered the father of modern nursing because, guided by evangelical love, he organized his hospital according to very advanced standards, in line with today’s nursing practices: one bed per patient, hygiene, food, medicine, and psychological and spiritual care.

A central street, two hospitals, a basilica, a museum, commemorative plaques, sculptures, and numerous works of art remind us of the importance and significance of the life and work of Saint John of God throughout the streets of Renaissance Granada.

Juan de Dios is the co-patron saint of Granada, along with Saint Cecilio; he is the universal patron saint of the sick, nurses, and hospitals, and the patron saint of the Spanish Fire Department.

This guided tour is complemented by a guided tour of the Basilica of San Juan de Dios.

His story and his legacy are still very much alive in the streets of Granada. Would you like to learn what happened during the last ten years of his life? We look forward to seeing you on the San Juan de Dios Tour, where you’ll explore and discover 16th-century Granada through his eyes. A guided tour of the highest quality, with meticulously researched content, that will surprise you with its deeply immersive experience.

Languages available for the tour: Spanish, English, French, and Italian.

A YouTube video produced by the archdiocese's media team.

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