Old St. John's Hospital

The Hospital of St. John (Dutch: Sint-Janshospitaal) was a medieval hospital in Bruges, founded in the mid-12th century. Located next to the Church of Our Lady, the premises contain some of Europe's oldest surviving hospital buildings.^[1] The hospital grew during the Middle Ages as a place where sick pilgrims and travellers were cared for. The site was later expanded with the building of a monastery and convent. In the 19th century, further construction led to a hospital with eight wards around a central building.

The building was planned to be demolished for a new hospital in the 1860s; however, due to interest from proponents of the Gothic Revival movement, especially Englishmen in the city, the building was preserved with the new hospital built alongside the original building.^[2]

In 1977, the building ceased being a hospital, at which time its activities were moved to a modern hospital in Brugge Sint-Pieters. The city of Bruges took over the buildings. Today, part of the hospital complex holds the Hans Memling museum, named for the German-born Early Netherlandish painter, where a number of works, such as triptychs are displayed,^[3] as well as hospital records, medical instruments and other works of art.^[4]

On 13 April 2020, the square in the hospital was named after Eleonora Verbeke, an 18th-century nun at the hospital.^[5]

• Media related to Sint-Janshospitaal (Bruges) at Wikimedia Commons
• Sint-Janshospitaal museum visitor information
• Site Oud Sint-Jan congress centre