Hospital of the Order of Saint John of God

The Bonifratres hospital, the hospitaller order of Saint John in Cracow

The huge red-brick building lining the street is the hospital of the order of the brothers of mercy, the Bonifratres. This Catholic hospitaller order has for centuries devoted itself to caring for the sick. The Cracow audio-guided tour stops here to evoke a long tradition of charity and medicine, inscribed in the stone of the Kazimierz district.

An order born in Spain in the sixteenth century

The hospitaller order of Saint John of God was founded in Granada, Spain, in the sixteenth century, by John of God, first as a lay community before being recognised by the Church. The brothers specialised in caring for the sick and spread across Europe. In Cracow, their hospital, long established in the Kazimierz district, perpetuates this vocation, combining medical care and religious commitment.

What to see

The hospital's imposing red-brick façade marks the district's landscape and testifies to the importance of care institutions in Cracow's history. As it is a working health establishment, it is mainly admired from the outside. Its presence recalls the role of the hospitaller orders, which long provided care and assistance well before modern medicine.

Practical information

The Bonifratres hospital lies in the Kazimierz district of Cracow, reachable on foot. It is a working health establishment: it is admired from the street, as access inside is restricted and subject to the rules specific to a hospital. The building is seen as part of a heritage walk, among the other monuments of the district.

Who are the Bonifratres?

They are the brothers of the hospitaller order of Saint John of God, founded in Granada in the sixteenth century, dedicated to caring for the sick and present in many countries.

Can you visit the Bonifratres hospital?

It is a working health establishment: it is admired from the street, as its interior is restricted and subject to the rules specific to a hospital.