Museu Arxiu Tomàs Balvey

The MATBC houses the collection of its creator, Tomàs Balvey y Bas (1865-1954), the last pharmacist of an old saga documented in Cardedeu since 1664.

Schedule:

• From Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sundays and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

The museum preserves the Balvey Pharmacy complex, with original furniture from 1780 and more than 200 ceramic jars from 1827. In addition to a garden dedicated to medicinal plants.

On the top floor of the museum is the exhibition Tomàs Balvey collector, where there is a sample of each of the collections that Tomàs Balvey built throughout his life.

The Tomàs Balvey Museum and Archive of Cardedeu (MATBC) is located in the Casal Dr. Daurella, the former summer home of the Daurella family, situated in the center of Cardedeu in an urban area characterized by the presence of summer residences and villas belonging to various bourgeois families from Barcelona in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The museum is named after its founder, Tomàs Balvey, the last representative of a long line of apothecaries documented in Cardedeu since the 17th century.

The MATBC collection comprises several items, the most unique of which is the rural pharmacy of the Balvey family, which, along with the Esteve rural pharmacy in Llívia, is one of the oldest in Europe. The collection includes original furnishings from 1780 and over two hundred ceramic albarelos (albumens) in the Imperial style, dating from 1827.

The MATBC museum tour revolves around collecting, pharmacy, and the apothecary's profession. The museum features a garden dedicated to medicinal plants, which serves as an open-air exhibition space, complementing the museum's central theme: well-being, health, and remedies.

The Museu Arxiu Tomàs Balvey has a long history and a solid track record; it is a museum with a strong connection to the territory and works to preserve, recover and tell the story and heritage through exhibitions, activities, workshops and tourist routes.

The museum organizes guided tours of the historic center, focusing on the art, architecture, and history of the town, from the Gothic period to the modernist summer villas. These tours cover everything from houses and towers surrounded by gardens to the civil and funerary architecture of the architect Manuel Joaquim Raspall (1877-1937).

Walks through the natural surroundings of Cardedeu, led by specialists, to learn and recognize the geology, medicinal plants, birds or mushrooms of our environment.

Educational proposals

From the Cardedeu Museum we offer different cultural activities for schools, which take place both in our museum and in the municipality.

Our aim is for the Museum and local heritage to be a learning tool and resource at all educational levels. Therefore, we offer a range of proposals and school activities: from nature walks exploring the surrounding area and heritage to visits and workshops at the Museum and its exhibitions.

Advance booking is required for all activities by calling 938 71 30 70 or by email to [email protected].