Some of the buildings that today form part of the Ourense Campus of the University of Vigo once belonged to the former Hospital Provincial de Ourense, which operated between 1930 and 1979. This healthcare facility, also known as Hospital Modelo or Hospital de As Lagoas, had originally been designed in 1909, although it was not inaugurated until twenty-one years later. The project was carried out by the architects Joaquín Rojí y López Calvo and Manuel Conde Fidalgo, who followed the pavilion-style hospital model that was widely used at the time in many hospitals across Spain and Europe1. The institution was devoted to provincial charitable healthcare.
The hospital complex was enclosed by a large granite ashlar wall, parts of which are still preserved today. Within this area, a total of eight pavilions were planned. The buildings were characterized by their strong horizontal layout and by the combination of stone façades with white plastered surfaces. They also featured stone lintels and front pediments displaying the hospital cross.
Each pavilion served a specific function according to the hospital’s needs. There were buildings dedicated to General Medicine, Surgery, Services, and Infectious Diseases. In addition, there was a small infirmary located in one of the smaller buildings—later converted into a greenhouse—a chapel used for religious services (see the photograph below), and even a mortuary.
This building, which is now the Escola de Gaitas, originally served as the hospital’s kitchen.
In 1979, the hospital permanently closed when its services were transferred to the new Hospital Provincial Santa María Nai that later became integrated into the Ourense Hospital Complex and was incorporated into the public healthcare network of SERGAS.
Over time, the former hospital grounds were gradually transformed into what is now the Ourense Campus of the University of Vigo, which currently defines and occupies the area. During this process, several pavilions and sections of the surrounding walls were demolished.
- Photos and main text by Sabela Nóvoa Gómez moc.liamg|im9211ebas#| (January 2026)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Bibliography:
- Simón Lorda, D. (2021). 120 años de historia. 120 años cuidando de Ourense. Colegio Médico de Ourense. https://www.cmourense.org/es/120-contigo-entrada/capitulo-2
Sitography
- Diario de un médico de guardia by David Simón Lorda (March 2026)