The Free Public Washing Place of Betanzos was inaugurated on 17 August 1902. It was one of the works of the García Naveira brothers on their return from Argentina. It is a purely functional building that could house up to 63 washerwomen. But its function does not take away from its beautiful modernist aesthetics, highlighting the columns of the interior or the windows of the facade. Its interior also had a rest room with benches and a fireplace, which served as a nursery for the workers' children, allowing "family conciliation" as early as the beginning of the 20th century.
Did you know that the pilgrimage of Os Caneiros was born in the place where the laundry is? In 1886 the first reference to great "gastronomy exercises" in the field of As Cascas, with dances and so on, appeared in the local press. In 1889, the tour along the Mandeo river begins and they live together until 1902, when the Laundry building is inaugurated, occupying the place where the pilgrimage was held.
It is worth mentioning that, as all the works of the Garcia Naveira brothers, it was protected by a foundation with a series of clauses that allowed its conservation. Those corresponding to the Laundry Room are as follows:
- The washing place is public and free of charge.
- Preference is given to the washerwomen who earn their living from it.
- The Town Hall will assume the costs of conservation, regime and vigilance.