Historic Urban Centre

A walk through the medieval heart of Betanzos and its main landmarks

Museo das Mariñas

Museo das Mariñas

Extensive ethnographic collection of traditional costumes, photography and history.

The Museo das Mariñas is a museum of history and ethnography. It is located in the former Convent of Santo Domingo in Betanzos and was inaugurated in 1983. The same building also houses the municipal archive and library. The museum is divided into two floors. On the ground floor, historical pieces from the regions linked to Betanzos are exhibited. One section features Galician jewellery from the Second Iron Age, such as torcs and bracelets. Another section displays various medieval remains, including tombs of figures from the clergy, the nobility, and the town of Betanzos. Notable examples include the presumed physician Fernán Pérez de Andrade (14th century) and his wife Sancha Rodríguez, Nuno Freire de Andrade (15th century), Andrade “the Younger” (c. 15th century), and Irmandiño figures such as Afonso de Carvallido. On the first floor are the doors of the Archive of the Hospital of Saint Anthony of Padua in Betanzos, dating from 1674, as well as oil paintings from the Apostolate of the Rubens School originating from Antwerp. The museum also includes a small costume museum with fabrics, festive attire, traditional Galician dress, and looms. The upper floor further features a collection of symbols of the Spanish Republican government, the Galician nationalist movement, and the Irmandades da Fala of Betanzos.