What was the process of industrialisation like around the Ter River, one of the axes of the Industrial Revolution in Catalonia? How did the landscape and human activity coexist? The Museu del Ter
, or Museum of the Ter, which forms part of the Territorial System of the
mNACTEC (Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia), was created in Manlleu in 2004 specifically to promote the
industrial and natural heritage of the central basin of the river Ter.
The Museum of the Ter is based at
Can Sanglas, a former cotton spinning factory, located in the last section of the industrial canal of Manlleu. It dates from 1841 and is one of
the oldest examples of the factories that were set up on the banks of the canal to take advantage of the hydraulic power.
Thanks to the first of the permanent exhibitions,
The River Factory, Can Sanglas looks back at its period of industrial activity. This exhibition highlights the
historical aspects of the industrialisation process of the central section of the Ter: from manufacturing jobs to mechanisation. Several experimental machines help to understand how the process of transforming cotton thread has evolved historically.
During the tour we find ourselves in the
two power rooms that Can Sanglas had in order to take advantage of the hydraulic energy: the Francis turbine, which allows one to see how electricity is generated; and the Fontaine turbine, one of the first hydraulic motors installed on the Ter. You can even see how the mechanical system operated the spinning machines!
This first section of the route connects with the second of the permanent exhibitions,
The Industrial Society, which explains all the
social changes caused by industrialisation.
Finally, the exhibition
The Mediterranean Rivers takes a journey through the landscapes, hydrology, ecology, the natural heritage, the socio-environmental aspects and the sustainable management of Mediterranean fluvial courses. And the Ter Museum also houses the
Centre d’Estudis dels Rius Mediterranis (Centre for the Study of Mediterranean Rivers, CERM) dedicated to environmental education and awareness-raising.
