Bescansa Pharmacy

Bescansa Pharmacy, located in Praza do Toural in the city of Santiago de Compostela, was founded in 1843 by the chemist and pharmacist Antonio Casares Rodríguez. After his death, the pharmacy was inherited by his son, Demetrio Casares Teijeiro, who later sold it to the Bescansa family.1

In 1917, Ricardo Bescansa Castilla decided to establish a laboratory in a building near the pharmacy. There, they began manufacturing products that gained great recognition at the time, such as Laxante Bescansa, Mareosán tablets — designed to prevent motion sickness and nausea caused by travel — and Jarabe Riché, used to treat fatigue and weakness2.

Today, after nearly two centuries of history, the pharmacy remains in the same location where it was originally founded. Inside, visitors can find collections of antique albarelos — ceramic jars traditionally used to store medicinal substances — as well as other pharmaceutical containers and preparations.

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  • Photos and main text by Sabela Nóvoa Gómez moc.liamg|im9211ebas#| (December 2025)

Bibliography:

  • Carro Otero, X. (1998). Materiais para unha historia da medicina galega. Tomo I. Consellería de Sanidade e Servicios Sociais (40-41)
  • Sánchez Cidrás, A. (2021). Ricardo Bescansa Castilla (1888-1965). Un bueués na industria químico-farmacéutica. Os galos, 4-9

Sitography:

Footnotes
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