Hospital Real was commissioned by Isabella and Ferdinand in 1504 as a hospital for the poor and for soldiers wounded in the Reconquista. The red-brick building is severe and impressive, arranged around courtyards with the scale of a royal project rather than a charitable afterthought.
It now belongs to the University of Granada, so access can vary, but the exterior alone is worth a look if you are walking north of the old center. The position above nearby gardens gives the building extra presence.