Construction of the old Comillas Seminary was begun in 1881, under the patronage of the successful fortune-seeker Antonio López del Piélago y López de la Madrid (1817-1883), first Marquis of Comillas. At his death in 1883, his son Claudio López Bru continued financing the building until it was completed in 1890.The project was carried out by the Catalonian architect Joan Martorell i Montells (1833-1906), with the counsel of Father Alcolado, a Jesuit engineer, and Father Gómez Carral, member of the Jesuit order. Thus, the general layout of the building follows very traditional Jesuit guidelines, with two patios – the community patio and the classroom patio - separated by the church.The location chosen for this magnificent work was not by chance, since it was the Marquis himself who decided to place it facing his Palace of Sobrellano. On-site construction was directed by the master Cristóbal Cascante y Colom. In 1889, Martorell personally recommended the architect Lluís Doménech i Montaner, to whom is owed the ornamental embellishment of the building. Other Catalonian artists took part, such as the painter Eduard Llorens Masdeu and the Masriera & Campins foundry (Bronze Doors of Virtues).