The Director-General for Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, Sònia Hernández, today formally opened a new public entry system at the Palau Forge in Ripoll, one of the sites of the National Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (MNACTEC). The new system allows independent, unaccompanied visits of the heritage site by entering a code provided at the Ripoll Ethnographic Museum, which provides access to the site and launches the interactive and audiovisual elements along the museum itinerary, in an automated and synchronised process.
The system also involved renewing the lighting and museum displays, rest areas, security and video surveillance installations, along with the addition of two videos, in 4 languages, which are screened at the heritage site itself.
The new autonomous entry system at the Palau Forge is the first of its kind to be implemented in Catalonia, although it is an approach already in use at heritage sites in northern Europe. Following an evaluation of the functioning and results of this pioneering system at the Palau Forge, it could be introduced at other heritage sites in Catalonia which are currently closed to regular public visits.
The Palau Forge
The Palau Forge in Ripoll was founded as an iron forge in the 17th century, and remained in operation over five centuries, before closing in 1978. And as well as being the only forge in Catalonia, and perhaps in Spain, that still produced copper up until the second half of the 20th century, the most distinctive features of the Palau Forge are the two hydraulic drop hammers installed there, with metal bearings, an elm shank and steel mallet.
In 1986 it was recognised as a Historical Landmark of the metal world by the American Society for Metals.
The MNACTEC acquired the forge in 1997, and turned it into one of the Museum's sites. It can now be visited to learn more about its different areas and how they functioned.
21 December 2022
