Hospital Colonial

In colonial Peru, the concept of charity was intertwined with power. Standing before the Hospital Colonial in Arequipa, you’re witnessing the legacy of this complex relationship. The Hospital Colonial, established in the 16th century, wasn’t just a place of healing but a stage for the interplay of political agendas and cultural clashes. The Spanish crown, self-proclaimed “protector of the Indians,” mandated these hospitals. They aimed to demonstrate the king’s benevolence and further their mission of religious conversion. However, the reality was far more complicated. Imagine indigenous communities, devastated by conquest and disease, being told they were responsible for funding their own healthcare. This was the function of the “tomin de hospital,” a portion of their tribute directed to the hospitals. To add insult to injury, Spanish officials often accused indigenous people of lacking compassion for their sick. They argued that this justified both the tomin and the imposition of Spanish-style hospitals. But the indigenous population often saw these hospitals as “houses of the dead,” places to be feared and avoided. They clung to traditional healing practices and resisted being confined within these unfamiliar walls. The Hospital Colonial, like many others, became a battleground for resources and a symbol of the uneasy coexistence of two cultures.