Civil Heritage

Historic buildings and spaces that reflect the urban, social and administrative life of Betanzos

Casa Núñez

Casa Núñez

Modernist building by Rafael González Villar combining architecture, commerce and art, now home to the CIEC Foundation.

Building designed by the renowned architect from A Coruña Rafael González Villar. Commissioned by the Núñez family and located in a privileged area of the city, it combined residential use with commercial functions and served as the correspondent office of the Bank of Spain in Betanzos. The project includes a large commercial warehouse conceived as an urban square illuminated by a skylight. The entrance area stands out for its large shop windows and hydraulic tile flooring. Today the building houses the headquarters of the CIEC Foundation (International Centre for Contemporary Printmaking), created through the dedication of the artist Jesús Núñez with the aim of promoting and disseminating the visual arts in general and graphic art in particular. Its print collection is especially noteworthy, including works by Picasso, Miró, Clavé and the great Galician artist Luis Seoane. Ornamentation plays such an important role that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between elements with a functional purpose and those that are purely decorative. Particularly notable are the architect’s interpretation of the traditional Betanzos balcony and, above all, the Talavera de la Reina ceramic tiles that decorate the façade with the city’s coat of arms and the symbol of Mercury, the Roman god of commerce.

Neoclassical Town Hall designed by Ventura Rodríguez, with historic coats of arms and an outstanding art collection inside.

Municipal Clock Tower

16th-century municipal tower attached to the Church of Santiago, hexagonal in plan and featuring a clock decorated with wind reliefs.

Old Bridge Gate

15th-century medieval gate that preserves the portcullis guides and served as a control point for the weights of market goods.

New Bridge Gate

15th-century medieval gate, the best preserved in the city, with remains of towers and a pointed double inner arcade.

Tower of great historical interest linked to the Irmandiño revolts, rebuilt between the 17th and 18th centuries, an example of a tower with a hat-shaped roof.

Archive–Liceo Building

18th-century neoclassical building created to house the Archive of the Kingdom of Galicia and now home to the Liceo of Betanzos.

Former Hospital of San Antonio

Orphans’ School

18th-century building with balcony and city coat of arms, founded as a school and now used for municipal services.

Gothic House or Vilousaz House

16th-century Gothic house built for Lope García de Vilousaz, with a conopial arch and noble coat of arms on the façade.

Couceiro Pharmacy

Couceiro Pharmacy, operating since the late 17th century, the oldest commercial establishment in Galicia.

1906 modernist building on Valdoncel Street, designed by Matías Witz, restored and characterised by balconies and an upper cornice.

Casa del Pueblo (People’s House)

Building promoted in 1917 thanks to the legacy of Jesús García Naveira for the Federation of Workers’ Societies of Betanzos.

Jesús García Naveira School

Os Cabildos or San Francisco Schools, built in 1917, a unique example of modernist architecture with Islamic and Baroque references.

García Naveira Schools

Schools built in 1908 by the García Naveira brothers, eclectic in style, with innovative educational methods and now housing social services.

García Naveira Brothers’ House

French-influenced building built in 1890 as the home and business of Juan García Naveira, notable for its use of marble and commemorative plaque.

Modernist building by Rafael González Villar combining architecture, commerce and art, now home to the CIEC Foundation.

Four Seasons Fountain

Monumental fountain inspired by the Louvois fountain in Paris, decorated with female figures representing the four seasons.

Diana the Huntress Fountain

Monumental fountain inaugurated in 1867, a replica of the Diana of the Louvre and one of Betanzos’ most recognisable urban symbols.

Alfonsetti Cinema-Theatre

Alfonsetti Theatre-Cinema, inaugurated in 1882, one of the oldest cinemas in Spain, now the municipal theatre in the former convent of San Domingos.

Statue of Charity

Contemporary sculpture “Charity”, a reinterpretation of Roman Charity, symbolising solidarity and the philanthropic legacy of the García Naveira brothers.

Manuel Naveira Asylum

Charitable building from 1914, promoted by Manuel Naveira González, eclectic in style and now converted into a hotel.

Casa Limiñón, built in 1902 on Rúa Traviesa, a clear example of modernism and decorative craftsmanship.

Casa da Rega or Villa Flora

Casa da Rega, built in 1922, an outstanding example of Indianos architecture and 20th-century Galician eclecticism.

Neoclassical 18th-century manor house, with an L-shaped floor plan and a large heraldic coat of arms, promoted by Archbishop Sánchez Baamonde.

Soportales del Campo Arcades

Popular street with gallery houses and arcades, now an area of bars and restaurants and a social meeting point in Betanzos.

García Naveira Brothers Statue

Pazo de Piadela

18th-century neoclassical manor house with an L-shaped plan, richly ornamented coat of arms and promoted by an archbishop from Compostela.

Pazo de Illobre

Manorial residence of medieval origin in Pontellas, renovated in the 20th century, with gardens and a tradition linked to the Counts of Taboada.

Pazo of the Counts of Taboada

19th-century neoclassical manor house located in the historic centre, with a large family coat of arms and linked to the County of Taboada.

Pazo de Lanzós

17th-century Baroque manor house with projecting balcony and modified tower, an example of Betanzos’ urban noble architecture.

Pazo de Bendaña

Historic building from the 15th and 16th centuries with pointed arcade and coats of arms, still serving as the headquarters of the Treasury.

Alfolí (Salt Storehouse)

Medieval building used for the storage and weighing of salt, a key product in Betanzos’ port trade.

Os Xudeus Street

Free Public Washhouse

Public washhouse inaugurated in 1902 by the García Naveira brothers, with two levels and capacity for more than twenty washerwomen according to the tides.

Mariñán-style houses of Fonte de Unta, A Cañota and Rúa Quiroga

Traditional agricultural neighbourhood of Fonte de Unta, characterised by arcades and wooden balconies used as urban granaries.

Medieval bridge documented since 1219, with five arches and 59 metres in length, now crossed by pilgrims on the English Way.

Old Bridge of As Cascas

Old As Cascas Bridge, cited in the year 1200, rebuilt in the 19th century and preserved as a historic element of the urban area.

Roibeira Bridge

Wooden Pedestrian Bridge

Preserved arch of the former medieval New Bridge of Betanzos, a historic symbol that once crossed the Mandeo River and connected the town with its surroundings.

Historic Centre Route

Route through Betanzos’ historic centre, a historic-artistic ensemble, covering the medieval enclosure and its main monuments and churches.

Modernism Route

Urban route that visits the main examples of modernist and eclectic architecture in Betanzos, reflecting its urban development in the late 19th century.

Cultural route that explores Betanzos through traditional trades and the spaces where the city’s artisanal and commercial life developed.

Betanzos in the Feminine Route

Cultural route that explores Betanzos from a gender perspective, highlighting the contribution of women to the city’s history and culture.

García Naveira Brothers Routes