Fontilles was founded in 1902 as a charitable organisation, with the specific aim of dealing with leprosy and its consequences. The Sanatorium of San Francisco de Borja (often referred to as Fontilles) was established in 1909. As a leprosarium and a centre for research and training, it has played a key role in the battle against leprosy in Spain.

The Sanatorium of San Francisco de Borja is located in the Vall de Laguar, in the province of Alicante. It remains an active treatment facility, with around 60 residents and 250 outpatients as of 2005, and it is also home to a specialised research laboratory.

In addition, the journal Fontilles has been published at the Sanatorium since 1944. It is a leprosy-specific publication, unique in the Spanish language.

The Fontilles archive at the Sanatorium holds documents related to the history of the sanatorium and the Fontilles organisation, whose anti-leprosy work was initially focused on Spain, but expanded in the 1990s to other countries in the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

A basic outline of the records held in the Fontilles archive, showing the organisational framework of the records (in Spanish), is available here (PDF).

Fontilles URL:
https://fundacionfontilles.org/
https://fontilles.org/

"Fontilles and leprosy in Spain" in Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library:
(Spanish version)
https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/fontilles_y_la_lepra_en_espana/
(English version)
https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/fontilles_and_leprosy_in_spain/

Entry updated October 2022