Cau del Cargol

About the museum

The Cau del Cargol is a collection of marine, land and freshwater mollusc shells from around the world. It was assembled from 1950 onwards by its founder, Jaume Bot i Arenas (1904–1983), a self-taught naturalist and malacologist.

Thanks to the acquisition of collections predating the museum's foundation, the holdings include the work of several naturalists from 1850 to the present day, so they contain genuinely rare or unique specimens, both because of the size and origin of the shells and their state of preservation. The collection covers more than 16,000 species from all the zoogeographical regions of the world.

The exhibition, located in the historic centre of Vilassar de Dalt, presents more than 1,000 shells selected from the species in the holdings, ranging from the shell of the largest species in the world, which can exceed 200 kg, to those of tiny molluscs that form part of marine plankton. The displays are designed to reveal the details of the shells, and the informative panels explain their beauty from the point of view of biology and the perception of forms, the spirals of nature and proportions. According to its website, the museum is closed to the public and devotes its resources to the conservation and digitisation of the collection.

Highlights

• Collection of more than 16,000 species of shells from around the world
• Selection of more than 1,000 shells on display
• Shell of the world's largest species, which can exceed 200 kg
• Shells of tiny molluscs from marine plankton
• Panels on biology, spirals in nature and proportions

Founded

1950

Admission & discounts

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Accessibility

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Kids & families

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Getting there & parking

Via the C-32 motorway (Barcelona–Mataró), exit 92 Vilassar de Dalt. The museum is in the centre of the town, next to the town hall square and the Teatre La Massa.

Amenities & dining

The museum is currently closed to the public.

Events & venue rental

The museum is currently closed to the public.