The Former Capital Known as Betanzos

In the Middle Ages, Galicia was its own kingdom divided into seven provinces. Most of the former capitals remain important cities today: A Coruña, Santiago, Ourense, and Lugo. But three haven't grown much since their glory days. One of those former capitals partially caught in the past is Betanzos. I'd been wanting to check the place out. After all, I had already seen all the other former capitals (including Tui and Mondoñedo). So one sunny Saturday, we took advantage of the fact that a teacher at the school I work at lives there to pay her a visit. It was awesome to have a private tour. Like the good old days of travel! Anyways, I liked what I saw, and am already planning a return visit. There is more to be seen, especially since we didn't go inside any museums. Too busy soaking up the sun and trekking all around town.

I mention that Betanzos was a former Galician capital because you can totally tell. It doesn't have an entire wall, but still holds on to three of the five gateways from its Medieval town wall. And no capital is complete without a handful of pazos. It also has multiple churches from the 14th-16th centuries. By multiple I mean four churches and two convents all within the city center. To me, the most interesting one (from the outside) is San Francisco. It has a little stone pig on top, symbol of the Andrade family-- nobles who had the church built. 

Igrexa de San Francisco, Betanzos

The wash house

One thing I enjoyed about Betanzos is all the modernist architecture. Buildings such as the school-- which is still used to this day--, the slaughterhouse, and the current graphic arts school stand out with their vibrant hues. Perhaps part of Betanzos' modernist boom was thanks to the García Naveira Brothers. Like many of their Galician peers, they emigrated to Argentina in search of fortune. Unlike many, they actually found it! Upon their return to their hometown of Betanzos, these indianos invested a lot in improving the place. Some of their donations included the aforementioned school, homes for the elderly or ill, and a large public wash house. We stepped inside the empty, echoing wash house. It has two floors: the lower by the riverside with stones for scrubbing out stains, and the upper filled with trails of boards bordering gaping holes for drip-drying. The surrounding yard also has about 100 feet of clothesline to dry clothes in the sun. It's easy to imagine the place bubbling with action and hot gossip 100 years ago. 

Another such improvement by Betanzos' benefactor brothers was the one-of-a-kind Parque do Pasatempo (the Past time Park). In its heyday, this 22-acre park brought the world to Betanzos. It was like a theme park. People could be awed by the statues of mythology and exotic animals; a house of mirrors; clocks with the time in every corner of the world; a small zoo and labyrinth; grottoes; and much more. But today, only about one-tenth of the park remains. And you can only get a glimpse of the glamorous past from the gate. The park is now closed. What's left of the place is on the brink of destruction. They'd need a lot of money to even begin to restore this historical treasure. That's where the Association of Friends of the Parque do Pasatempo comes in.  Their goal is to defend the park as the historical heritage site that it is. They also have tons of resources about the Pasatempo, and here you can even find a few in English. Hopefully soon enough the government (on any level) will invest enough to revive this gem.

Tiny part of the Parque do Pasatempo

But wait, there's more! Betanzos is known in Galicia for having great tortilla de patacas (Spanish omelet). So a visit there would not be complete without some tortilla from a bar purportedly serving the best of Betanzos. Soft, but not too yolky. Perfection! Since we had learned about the wine in Betanzos during our fabulous guided tour, we were itching to try some ourselves. Although nowadays it's not as popular as other Galician wine regions such as the Rías Baixas or Ribeira Sacra, it has a strong history of wineries. Along the river bordering Betanzos you can peek at a few hillside grape vines. But alas, official Betanzos wine in such short supply that in the bar they had none. The local gourmet shop saved the day: we picked out a bottle of white Betanzos wine as well as a jar of chocolate peanut butter. Both pending taste tests. 

PS. Special thanks to our marvelous tour guide for her insight!