Museum of San Juan de Dios, Granada
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Written by official guides
The Museum of San Juan de Dios is housed in the Palacio de los Pisa, close to the Darro river. This house was built by the Pisa family in the sixteenth century. The Pisas were benefactors of the Order of San Juan de Dios, and it was they who took the saint in during his final days: San Juan de Dios passed away in this house in 1550.
In the nineteenth century, when the Pisa family line died out, the house was acquired by the Hospitaller Order of San Juan de Dios. This family of merchants held considerable influence in sixteenth-century Granada, and its members went on to hold public office and sit on the Royal Chancery.
Today the house holds the archive of San Juan de Dios and has been adapted into a museum dedicated to the saint. San Juan de Dios, who spent most of his life in the city of Granada, is the city's co-patron saint in recognition of everything he did here.
What to see at the Museum of San Juan de Dios, Granada
Across its 16 rooms, the museum explores the life and legacy of this saint, so deeply loved throughout Spain. The items on display range from relics to fine metalwork, and the palace also opens its central courtyard free of charge as a charity bookshop.
The museum's most important room is the one where San Juan de Dios died, bedridden, clutching a crucifix for more than eight hours. The visit also takes in the saint's personal belongings, such as his walking stick, his alms bag and his crucifix.
The museum's artistic and heritage riches are evident throughout its rooms. During the visit you can admire sixteenth-century paintings, engravings, ivory works, furniture and porcelain, many of them donated by religious institutions.
Among the painters and sculptors who left their mark are Pedro de Raxis, Pablo de Rojas, Diego de Mora, Alonso Cano and Juan de Sevilla. The museum also displays fourteenth-century Arab tiles, Flemish panel paintings, objects from Africa and the Americas, and documentation relating to the hospitals run by the Order of San Juan de Dios.
The house has richly decorated rooms, a Moorish-style interior courtyard and a small chapel. This former noble residence features architectural details that reflect the importance of the Pisa family in sixteenth-century Granada.
Opening hours and admission prices, Museum of San Juan de Dios 2025
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Sunday: Closed
Admission: Guided visit (45 minutes): €4 Central courtyard charity bookshop: Free access
How to get to the Museum of San Juan de Dios, Granada
Location: Calle Convalecencia, 1 Very close to the Darro river Transport: Lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 23 and 33
The palace is located in Granada's historic centre, in an area that's very easy to reach from Plaza Nueva and close to other major monuments in the city.
Practical information for visiting the Museum of San Juan de Dios
Duration: 45-minute guided visit Type of visit: Guided tour only, included in the price Free access: Central courtyard as a charity bookshop
Connection to other San Juan de Dios sites San Juan de Dios is buried in the Basilica of San Juan de Dios, in the Boquerón neighbourhood. Its hospital, located next to the basilica, is still run by monks of the order.
The Pisa family went down in Granada's history for taking in San Juan de Dios during his illness. The "saint of the sick" spent his final days within the walls of this house, which preserves the memory of one of Granada's most beloved figures, thanks to his charitable work with the city's sick.
Discover more about sixteenth-century Granada and the noble families who took in saints and historical figures on our tours through the historic centre, where we tell the stories of these important noble houses and their role in Christian Granada.
Granada Free Tour
Granada Night Free Tour
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