Ethnology and popular demonstrations

The Farga Palau (Palace Forge) in Ripoll, first documented in 1626 and in operation until 1978, is a valuable testimony to one of our country’s historical industries: the Catalan forge. Located on the banks of the river Freser, you can see the restored structure which had remained in operation over the course of four centuries.

The forge occupies the ground floor where the water trompes (water-powered compressors), the trip hammers (unique in being made with metal bearings, an elm handle and steel mallet), the coal bunker, the kiln, where the ore is reduced, and the forge itself. The industrial part is completed outside with the water wheel, the channel and the pool. All of these are the essential elements of the Catalan forge or «Catalan process»; a type of forging that enabled the manufacturing of a high-quality product.

Ripoll was the metallurgical centre of Catalonia, thanks to the manufacture of the two most prestigious products of the Catalan forge: portable firearms and keys.

With the introduction of new industrial techniques, many iron forges became obsolete and, in order to survive, devoted themselves to working copper. This was the case with the Farga Palau, the only one in Catalonia which produced copper coins up until the second half of the 20th century. The forge closed definitively in 1978 and in 1997 it was incorporated into the Territorial System of the Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (mNACTEC) as a separate section.

The roar of the water, the smells, the noise of carts and workers were, from the end of the 18th century, a constant presence on the banks of the Rec d’Igualada (irrigation channel). And it is here that new tanneries began to be built. The Leather Museum of Igualada and the County of Anoia recalls this industrial past of the city, linked to leather and also to the manufacture of wool. Conceived in 1954, it is one of the first monographic leather museums in Europe. It also forms part of the Territorial system of the Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (mNACTEC).

The two buildings that make up the Museum, the industrial evolution of the Rec area is summarised. The main location is in the Cal Boyer cotton factory, an example of strong industrial growth at the end of the 19th century. The other, Cal Granotes, a pre-industrial building (18th century) where traditional vegetable tanning of the leather, particularly of ox and cow, was carried out. It is currently the only tannery museum in Catalonia.

The permanent exhibition is divided into different areas. Particularly notable is the room “L’Home i l’Aigua” (Man and Water) which addresses topics such the role water plays in health, the economic uses of water and the elevation of the water and its transport. It is an innovative museum space where, in the central section, the visitor will find a water channel where they can experiment with various hydraulic devices.

In the room "Dels clots als bombos" (From the pits to the drums) the historical development of the tannery trade is explained: from how the leather was tanned in 1890 (making the connection to Cal Granotes) to the tanning barrels and other machinery that is now  powered by electricity.

The town of Cercs, in Berguedà, forms part of the most important mining centre in Catalonia, particularly from the modern mining of brown lignite coal in the late 19th century. To ensure stable labour in such an isolated place, a colony was built with housing and basic services for the miners, following the example of the textile colonies in the region.

Since 1999, the colony of Sant Corneli has been home to Cercs Mines Museum, which explains what the mining activity in the area was like over many years, from a geological, landscape, social and economic point of view. The Museum belongs to the Territorial system of the Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (mNACTEC).

The main building of the Museum is the old school of the colony, which was converted in 1931 to the "Hogar del Minero" (Home of the Miner) dedicated to services for workers (café, library, barbershop, cinema, games room, etc.). Here you can see the permanent exhibition that explains what coal mining and the mining infrastructure was like. A significant part is devoted to daily life in the colony and to the working conditions of the miners. Two audiovisual displays describe their most emblematic protests and you can also visit a miner’s house.

In 2012, "The spectacle of the mine: emotions and sensations" was included as part of the exhibition which delves into the world of mining through a immersive museum experience using new technologies.

Finally, a guided tour of the interior of the mine transports the visitor to other periods and you can travel along the first 450 metres of a 7 km long gallery in a wagon.

From history and ethnography to geography and the economy, also taking in the ecology. The Museu de les Terres de l'Ebre (Museum of the Lands of the Ebro in Amposta) gives a cross-sectional view of the Ebro delta region. Visitors can learn about the Ilercavones, learn different ways of fishing, even see a ‘llagut’ up close, the most characteristic river boat.

It was created in 2011, as an expansion and updating of the previous Museu Comarcal del Montsià (Montsià County Museum). It occupies the old modernista building of the Miquel Granell state school, which has been converted to meet the needs of a modern and thought-provoking museum project. The museum conserves and manages one of the most important collections of nature, archaeology and ethnology in the Terres de l'Ebre region made up of more than 35,000 objects, among which the Falcata stands out, an Iberian sword that forms part of the set of urns and artefacts from the Iberian necropolis of Mianes (Santa Barbara).

The permanent exhibition "The lands of the Ebro: from prehistory to the middle ages" takes a tour through the history of the banks of the lower Ebro, starting from the archaeological remains found in the area. The second room, "Ebro: the water road" focuses on the influence of the most important river on the Iberian Peninsula on history and the collective identity, and reflects on what the future of the territory will be like.

On the museum’s website, various archaeological items can be viewed in 3D.

The museum will head up the network "Ebro nature & culture" which brings together museums, interpretation centres, archaeological sites and monuments in the different municipalities of the Ebro.

Jacint Verdaguer, author of L'Atlàntida and Canigó, and one of the great architects of the revival of Catalan as a literary language, lived part of his childhood in the current Verdaguer House-Museum in Folgueroles. Opened in 1967, it is one of the oldest literary museums in Catalonia.

The house is from the 17th century and is divided into ground floor (originally intended for the agricultural tools), first floor, attic and a courtyard at the rear. It is located at 7, Carrer Major in Folgueroles, next to Cal Doctor (no. 9). When the young Verdaguer lived there, the two houses formed a single building.

The project dates back to the early 20th century, when the idea arose of creating a museum in Folgueroles dedicated to the memory of Verdaguer. The collection - brought together by the Association Amics de Verdaguer (Friends of Verdaguer Association) with the advice of Eduard Junyent and Josep M. Garrut (curators of the MEV - Epsicopal Museum of Vic, and the MHCB - Barcelona City History Museum, respectively) - is arranged into three sections: biographical, with items that belonged to the poet; ethnographical, with various objects of everyday life (on the first floor, the domestic rooms of a mid-19th century house have been preserved); and the artistic, with pieces by artists such as Duran fields, Pahissa and Perejaume. Preserved in the library, are some 800 items among which are books, periodicals, graphical, sound and audiovisual materials.

Joan Maragall was one of the leading figures of modernista poetry, though he also wrote prose. He produced more than 450 texts, including articles, essays, speeches, biographical sketches and prologues. The whole of his documentary legacy is in the Joan Maragall Archive, a documentation centre located in his final residence, in the district of Sant Gervasi in Barcelona.  Currently this building also serves as a House-Museum, allowing one to see the most intimate sides of one of the great names of the Catalan Renaixença.

The Joan Maragall Archive brings together a significant documentary collection about the figure and work of the poet and about Modernisme as a whole. It was founded in 1911, after the death of Maragall, at the behest of his widow. In 1993, the centre was given over to the Biblioteca de Catalunya (National Library of Catalonia).

Students of the work of Maragall will find a complete collection of manuscript works, among which there is extensive correspondence. The archive also maintains the personal library of the poet with a thousand volumes and has all of the editions of his works. In addition to the documentary collection itself, there is the library of criticism of the work of the writer, original scores of his poems, the iconographic collection and some 10,000 press clippings.

Although the building underwent modifications after its refurbishment in 1957, various objects of the poet and his family are preserved here. Visitors can tour the entrance hall, the great hall, the dining room, the study and two bedrooms, in which you will find the original furnishings, as well as photographs and works of art by modernista artists such as Rusiñol and Casas.

Since 1990, the old steam locomotive depot at Vilanova i la Geltrú has hosted one of the most important railway collections in Europe. More than 60 vehicles from all eras, technologies and countries, including 28 steam locomotives from the late 19th century, make up the bulk of the displays at the Museu del Ferrocarril de Catalunya (Catalonia Railroad Museum).

The history of the Spanish railway can be traced through its collection, starting with a replica of the first train to operate on the Peninsula, the Mataró. You can also see the oldest original locomotive in Spain, the last steam-powered vehicle and the first Talgo train. In addition, there are objects from the railways that explain what the stations were like and how the railway traffic was controlled. Among other items, there is an interlocking lever frame and a signal box originating from the Estació de França in Barcelona.

As well as the technical and historical aspect, the Museum invites you to discover the social and emotional aspects of the world of the train. For this reason, it has been designed as an experience space. And so visitors can go inside the locomotives, travel on the passenger trains and even watch audiovisual projections inside a freight wagon.

The important work of the Museum in preservation and dissemination is demonstrated by its documentation centre, with more than 10,000 photographs, 5,000 bibliographic records and 400 videos. 

To talk about wine in the Penedès is to talk about the identity of an entire region. This symbiosis between history, culture and territory is reflected in the Museum of Wine Cultures of Catalonia (VINSEUM) in Vilafranca del Penedès, the first wine museum in Spain.

VINSEUM was created in 2007 as a space for visitors to experience the culture of wine. It is the conceptual evolution of the Museum of Vilafranca – Wine Museum, which was founded in 1935 to house various collections related to the Penedès. The collection has already exceeded 17,000 items which cover subjects such as archaeology, art (with an important collection of ceramics), ethnology and natural history.

But what has made the Museum into a benchmark is the collection related to viticulture: tools of the field, amphorae, ceramic pitchers, cups made of tin and silver, pieces of glassware from Bohemia, etc. Notable are the wine dioramas that narrate the history of viticulture. Thus, you can see scenes from the wineries of Egypt and Rome or the Monastery of Poblet. In addition to the objects, VINSEUM also has an important documentary collection on vines and wine.

The tour of the permanent exhibition begins on the third floor of the main building, a former royal palace of the Kings of Aragon (12th-13th century). A careful and modern museum display draws the visitor into an immersive tour through the various collections. It even has a multi-sensory module known as the "La Mirada Tàctil" or the Tactile View. The tour ends in the Museum’s Tavern, where you can taste wine or cava.

The Ecomuseum of Valls d'Àneu is a living museum. It is not contained within a single building but it is made up of several monumental, ethnographic and natural elements, spread out among the municipalities of Àneu which, together, explain how the inhabitants of these Pyrenean valleys have lived from the end of the 19th century. It’s an innovative project that was born in 1994 and which carries out research, conservation, dissemination and recovers the past of the territory in which it is based.

The central point is the Casa Gassia, a house typical of the Valls d'Àneu in the 18th century. It maintains its original structure and the current exhibition space shows what domestic life was like during the first half of the 20th century. Starting from here, the Ecomuseum is spread over 10 further heritage centres.

There are churches - Sant Joan d’Isil, Sant Julià d’Unarre, Sant Pere de Sorpe, Sant Pere del Burgal, Santa Maria d’Àneu and the Son monumental complex - which explain what the popular religion, beliefs and rituals were like. And also defensive buildings, distant in time from each other, such as the medieval castle of Valencia d'Àneu and the post-war bunkers of Guingueta d’Àneu. At the same time, the industrial facilities, which include the hydraulic sawmill at Alos and the cheese dairy of Roseta de Gavàs, are a testament to the economic activities of the area.

In addition, through the objects and items situated in their place of origin, the Ecomuseum shows the transformations that this territory has undergone in recent decades, and allows the natural and monumental elements to be related to the social, cultural and ethnographic traditions.

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.