The influence of the San Lazaro Hospital of Seville in the creation and management techniques of the Lazaretto Hospitals in the Americas

The San Lazaro Hospital of Seville that was established in the middle of the 13th century was one of the most important in Spain and Europe throughout nearly eight centuries in terms of caring for leprosy patients. In the 1930s the exclusive treatment of leprosy patients ceased and San Lazaro became a general hospital. The Spanish Crown (Alfonso X) accorded certain privileges and rules to the hospital which also were conferred by subsequent monarchs. These rules and ordinances contributed to the establishment and functioning of many lazarettos throughout the Americas of which we have documentation, notably those of Santo Domingo, Tlaxplana (Mexico City), Lima, Cartagena de Incias, La Habana, and Yucatan.