Built at the end of the 16th century outside the walled area of Betanzos. It has undergone many modifications and even changes of use. The façade is very simple and the Baroque tower built by Archbishop Monroy in the 18th century stands out, from where the San Roque balloon is launched every 16th August. Inside, the image of the patron saint of Betanzos, San Roque, is kept after the disappearance of his chapel located in the same square (we can guess the features of this temple on the façade of a well-known bank).
Did you know that the first reference to the launching of a balloon in Betanzos dates back to 1814 to commemorate the saint of King Fernando VII? Throughout the 19th century the tradition continued, becoming the central event of the San Roque Festival since 1874 thanks to the work of Claudino Pita, who from that moment onwards (his successors) was in charge of making the aerostat. We remember it is made of paper, it is 25 meters high and covered with humorous drawings and the legend "Betanzos a su patrón".
The convent currently houses the Mariñas Library, Archive and Museum. A visit to this centre is a must, since apart from telling the whole history of Betanzos, it has a large ethnographic collection, the room of the traditional Galician costume, the collection of Jiménez Cossío, the Apostolate of Rubens and the flag of the Republican government in exile.