The ancient pharmacy at the former Saint Catherine’s Hospital is considered to be one of the most outstanding sites from the 17-18thcenturies, along with the pharmacy in Llívia. While the one in Llívia provided services to the entire population, Saint Catherine’s was exclusively a hospital pharmacy.
Located on the ground floor of the building, access is directly through the interior courtyard. The groined vault ceiling of the rectangular room is decorated with allegorical paintings from the 19thcentury. These in turn cover earlier mural paintings from the Baroque period.
Among the furniture that has been preserved, the piece that stands out the most is a profusely decorated cordialer (a type of closet) that is embedded into a set of shelves where the most precious medication was stored. The pharmacy holds a collection of over 300 white vitrified ceramic jars (most dated from the 17thand 18thcenturies), in addition to several mortars, blown glass flasks and wooden recipients. In addition, the library contains several treatises on medical topics from medieval times up through the 20thcentury.
