by Nicole Falconi, 09.04.2025-11.05.2025
Project: Emmy Noether Gruppe (DFG): Anatomische Theater der frühen Neuzeit zwischen Kunst, Natur und Wissenschaft
Almost 460 years ago, King Philip II established his court in Madrid. The Atocha district, now part of the bustling city center, was once the outskirts of the city – an ideal site for the establishment of a hospital (later called Hospital General), an institution that would come to shape the area’s architectural, medical and scientific history.
How did the presence of the monarchy and royal court – this distinct political and cultural setting – influence the development of health institutions, scientific practices and, most notably, the architecture and spatial organization of such facilities? Did Castile’s centralized power structure, unlike that of regions such as Aragón, facilitate different institutional and architectural responses, particularly in Madrid, where proximity to the court often implied prestige, funding, and strategic importance?
Tracing the precise location of the Anatomical Theatre within the hospital complex between the late 17th century and 1730 is a challenging task. Although the frontispiece of Martín Martínez’s 1728 publication illustrates the interior of an Amphitheatrum Matritense, and numerous manuscripts confirm the theatre’s existence, these sources rarely provide more concrete details. This changes in the 1780s with the founding of the Real Colegio de Cirugía de San Carlos. However, due to delays and multiple design changes, the ‚Great Amphitheatre‘ (today in the ICOMEM building) was eventually constructed in a separate building next to the hospital, completed only in 1834.
