Route of the trades in the Alt Urgell

Times change and ways to make and the habits of the people too. Formerly, it was more limited and the population survived leveraging all the resources that were in their immediate environment. Even the trades with which the people took their lives were characterized by the wealth of its own territory, which also affect, in a way, in their social behavior.

In Catalonia, over its territory and its history, have developed a number of odd jobs. And today we have a path that allows us to remember some of these.

A route nine museums

The Alt Urgell is a region of the province of Lerida farming traditions that has become a major milk producing Catalunya because it has large cattle farms in their territory. But years ago there dominated trades slightly different.

Segre river passing through the region allowed the development of the office of "Raier". Also, flora and natural environment were essential for the existence of the profession of Trementinaire. Like other as the "peasantry", the flour, weavers ...

The Route of the trades referred gives all these trades, and some others, using nine ethnographic museums for understanding the lifestyle of the population of the Pyrenees mountain in each of their contexts.

These museums are located in different populations; Coll Nargó , Josa i Tuixent , Arsèguel , Calbinyà , Pont de Bar and Montferrer i Castellbo .

Do visit?

A countercurrent

Instead of using the current of the river Segre, as the ancients did Raiers we travel counter and begin the path to the village of Coll de Nargó . We have to say Nargó Coll was one of the most important in regard to raiers.

Perhaps for this reason, in this municipality is located Raiers Museum, which hosts a large number of items, tools and instruments related to the old job. It is housed in the old chapel of Roser as this was the patron saint of raiers, at least in this town.

The office of Raier was very hard and dangerous as carrying the force of the river's current communications logs why, then, were terrible and could not do otherwise. Furthermore, these trunks met vessel function.

Curiously, indicate that the last rai who descended the river was in 1932. Despite this, there are still opportunities to see this tradition. Each year in this town, in mid-August, is performed raiers drop accompanied by a presentation of the whole process involving this office.

Turpentine and its special healing

The office of Trementinaire was also very important and popular in this region, while still remembered with the celebration of the Feast of Trementinaires in the month of May to the municipality of Josa i Tuixent .

The Trementinaires were women residing in the valley Vansa and possessed great knowledge of the healing properties of plants. These elaborated Turpentine and gathered other herbs to subsequently make remedies and sell to towns and big cities.

The Turpentine, specifically, is made ??from resin, mainly red pine, which once served to appease purified pain, sprains and bumps.

You can learn more about this office in the Trementinaires museum located in the municipality of Josa i Tuixent .

Textile, music and "peasantry"

On the way to the museum of peasant of Calbinyà we recommend a stop in the town of Arsèguel where you will find the Museum of the accordion and wool factory.

It is said that the diatonic accordion was introduced in the Catalan culture as a result of the temporary transfer of some peasants and shepherds in the Pyrenees to Ffrancia in 1880 where, possibly, learned to play this instrument.

In passing to Calbinyà ( Valls de Valira ) we find the Museum of Vine and Wine mountain located in the municipality of Pont de Bar . This conreo had great importance in the region.

This museum explores the conreo of the vineyard in the Alt Urgell, the characteristics of the planting and winemaking process.

The Flour Mill Montferrer

Finally, we will finish the route to the municipality of Montferrer i Castellbo to visit the old flour mill of the Meeting.

The flour mill was built by a group of peasants Anserall residents, Castellciutat, Montferrer i Adrall in 1911 water diving benefiting from an old mill that was built there. The flour milled cereals up to 1963.

This is divided into four floors and remain, even, the 26 machines that were driven by hydropower. Also, in the reception of the factory is installed in the farm shop which sell handicraft products in the region.