Founded in 1910, the sanatorium was the result of an agreement between Rita Canelo and the Hospitaller order of San Juan de Dios ("Juaninos"). The institution was established to care for Canelo's son who suffered from a mental illness. As there were no other psychiatric facilities in Puebla at the time, Canelo acquired land at the foot of Tlachihualtepetl to build the sanatorium.[2][3]
The hospital was formally inaugurated with the blessing of Archbishop José Ramón Ibarra y González. It served as the first psychiatric institution in the state of Puebla for over a century.[2]
The Juaninos originally provided care through prayer, physical activity, and meditative practices. Later, professional medical staff were added. Patients were largely self-sufficient, maintaining farms and orchards on the hospital grounds.[4]
Closure and conversion
The sanatorium faced challenges during periods of national crisis, including the Mexican Revolution and the Cristero War. With advancements in psychiatry and the development of new treatments, the need for institutionalization decreased. Consequently, the sanatorium closed in 2013.[5]
The sanatorium's architecture reflected the late Porfirian era, incorporating French styles such as iron windows, Catalan vaults, and extensive gardens. Over time, eight pavilions were added to the complex, funded by donations. The structure was enclosed by thick adobe walls and integrated into the base of the Great Pyramid.[4]
^Bonfil Batalla, Guillermo (1988). Cholula, la ciudad sagrada en la era industrial [Cholula, the sacred city in the industrial era]. Univerisidad Autonoma de Puebla.
^Gámez Espinosa, Alejandra; Ramírez Rodríguez, Rosalba. Territorio, fiesta y ritual en las Cholulas, Puebla [Territory, festival and ritual in the Cholulas, Puebla.]. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla.
