Hospice of Santa Florentina

This institution, one of the "Pious Foundations" of Cardinal Luis Belluga, was founded in Murcia in 1715, just after the Spanish War of Succession, with a clear objective: to shelter the most vulnerable. The Hospice was not a building, but a multifunctional complex that housed orphaned and abandoned girls and boys, providing them not only shelter but also doctrine and training in trades to try to ensure their future. The current building, initiated in 1741 with the approval of Pope Benedict XIV, was built on the site of the ancient wall and the gate of Santa Florentina. Since 1872, the Daughters of Charity have dedicated themselves to its care, and since 1985 it has been an Auxiliary Home of Social Services for children aged 0 to 6 years, maintaining its original vocation after three centuries.

The authorship of the building is attributed to the architect Martín Solera, a key name in Murcian Baroque. The façade on Calle Santa Teresa, made of stone and brick, is its most distinctive feature. Three doorways break the uniformity of the wall. Those at the ends present greater complexity and ornamental richness: above them, two niches house the sculptures of Santa Florentina and San José, their protective patrons, accompanied by coats of arms that recall their founders. The central one, more austere, serves as the main entrance. Collectively, this building is an emblem of the civil architecture of the 18th century in Murcia, and in it, we find the beauty of Baroque in the service of humanitarian work.