Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta

The Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta, whose official name is Hospital de Caridad de San Conrado y San Gaspar, is one of the most unique historical buildings in the interior of Fuerteventura. It is located on the right side of the FV-20 road, which connects Casillas del Ángel with Antigua, very close to the church of San Pedro de Alcántara, forming together with it and the House of Doctor Mena a valuable heritage site.

Origin and historical context

This building is closely linked to the figure of Doctor Tomás Antonio de San Pedro Mena Mesa, popularly known as Doctor Mena, physician and surgeon born in La Ampuyenta in 1802. After an outstanding professional career in Cuba and France, and after practicing medicine altruistically in Fuerteventura, Doctor Mena left in his will an important inheritance -25,000 pesetas-destined to the construction of a hospital in his hometown, with the aim of improving the precarious sanitary conditions of the island.

However, despite sufficient funding, the project suffered continuous delays. The works did not begin until 1901 and lasted for decades between stoppages, administrative problems and a notable lack of institutional interest. In 1929 the building was still not finished and it was the Cabildo of Fuerteventura who assumed the responsibility of continuing the works. Even so, the hospital never fulfilled the function for which it was conceived.

Architecture of the hospital

The Hospital de San Conrado y San Gaspar presents an unusual architecture on the island for its time. The complex consists of three pavilions, linked together by corridors that connect to a central core, a functional and innovative solution in the island context.

The building has:

• Gable roofs, covered with flat tiles.
• Dark stonework in the corners, characteristic of the traditional architecture of Majorca.
• A layout designed for ventilation, natural lighting and separation of spaces, following the most advanced hospital models for its time.

Subsequent uses and restoration

Throughout the twentieth century, the hospitalito had different uses different from its original function. In 1931 it was used as a coeducational school, and later it passed into the hands of the Church, which used it as a religious retreat house.

Between 2011 and 2014, the building underwent a comprehensive restoration promoted by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, respecting its historical and architectural value. Since 2015, part of the building houses the Interpretation Center of the Hermitages of Fuerteventura, an exhibition space dedicated to the religious heritage of the island, with temporary exhibitions and informative content.

A heritage complex of great value

The Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta is included within the protected environment of the Historical Monument of the church of San Pedro de Alcántara, forming a heritage complex of great historical and cultural coherence together with the House Museum Doctor Mena and the House of Fray Andresito.

A symbol of vocation and memory

Although it never functioned as a hospital, the Hospitalito de La Ampuyenta is a powerful symbol of the social and human commitment of Doctor Mena and of a time marked by health difficulties and scarcity of resources in Fuerteventura. Today, converted into a cultural space, it allows visitors to understand an essential part of the medical, social and architectural history of the island, and reflect on the projects that, although unfinished, left a deep mark on the collective memory of Fuerteventura.