The Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes was founded in 1675 by Justino de Neve. The building, located in the heart of Santa Cruz, is two storeys high and consists of a church and the residence where the elderly clergy used to live, a practice that only ended about 30 years ago. And since 1991, Los Venerables, as it is popularly known, has become the headquarters of the FOCUS Foundation – Sevillian Cultural Fund. 

The building, designed by Leonardo de Figueroa, is one of the most important baroque structures in Seville and is built around its original central courtyard. The upper floor has exhibition rooms, along with an infirmary and a shop. You’ll also find a very interesting staircase, covered by an elliptical vaulted ceiling decorated with baroque ornamentation. 

The single nave church is covered by a half-barrel vault with half moons and lantern arches. Inside you’ll find frescos created by Juan de Valdés Leal and his son, Lucas Valdés, including, “La apoteosis de San Fernando,” [Saint Ferdinand’s Apotheosis] which hangs over the large altarpiece, and the sacristy is home to the Triumph of the Cross.

Also noteworthy are the sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Ferdinand created by Pedro Roldán. Moreover, Murillo painted the most famous of his “Immaculate” series of paintings for los Venerables, which today can be found in the El Prado Museum.