In the old part of the city of Jaén there existed, since the 15th century, a great hospital called San Juan de Dios. Thanks to private donations and the patronage of the Municipal Council, this health institution, over time, became one of the longest-lived hospitals in Spanish history, and the one with the greatest tradition in Jaén. For several centuries it obtained the merit and honor of becoming a true healthcare model that managed to spread throughout the entire Spanish monarchy.