Hospital de Tavera (Tavera Hospital), Toledo

In his life and career, Juan Pardo de Tavera wore many hats. The most notable ones were the Archbishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain, Grand Inquisitor of Spain, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Bishop of Osma, and Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo.

He is remembered today as the one who ordered the construction of the Hospital de San Juan Bautista in 1541 in honor of John the Baptist. The hospital was also known as Hospital de Afuera (outside the walls). Today is the Hospital Tavera. The edifice is still dedicated to the Baptist and served as a pantheon for Cardinal Tavera.

Tavera Hospital is a complex of two courtyards with columns, a church with a ducal crypt, and a palace museum. The main building is in the style of a Florentine Renaissance palace. It has an Italianate facade. The twin courtyards are joined by a double arcade.

The church portal is a marble. It has a single nave. The crossing, covered by a cupola with pendentives and a drum, is reminiscent of the Basilica of the Monastery of Escorial. Under the cupola is the tomb of Cardinal Tavera. The reredos of the church were done by El Greco and his son, Jorge Manuel.

The museum houses archives of rare documents and paintings by El Greco, Jusepe de Ribera, Tintoretto, Luca Giordano, and Titian. There is a sculpture of the Resurrected Christ by El Greco.