Driven by the spirit of the Catalan Renaixença and aware that a large part of the traditional Catalan heritage was on the verge of disappearing, in the late 19th century a group of intellectuals, headed by folklorist Rossend Serra, began to meticulously compile the stories, legends and songs from the county of Ripollès. Resulting from these efforts, in 1929 they created the Folkloric Archive Museum of Sant Pere, which gave rise to the Ripoll Ethnographic Museum.

Opened in 2001 in the former manor house of Can Budallés, having been closed for 10 years, the current museum carries out research, conservation, interpretation and dissemination of the tangible and intangible ethnological heritage, largely from Ripoll and Girona Pyrenees. The new museum displays, in a modern and educational way – incorporating audiovisual material, audios and interactive screens – more than 5,000 items.

The tour is organised into 12 collections that explain, among other things, how things were for the peasantry, trades people, shepherds, about life in the home and the popular religion. Highlights include the collection dedicated to the forge and to iron, fundamental elements in the economy of the region since the Middle Ages. And in particular, the collection of portable firearms from Ripoll, a product that achieved world renown.