Centre d'Interpretació del Montsec de Meià

About the museum

The Centre d’Interpretació del Montsec de Meià, in Vilanova de Meià, explains the age and origin of the Montsec range through its fossils. It is part of the network of Dinosaures dels Pirineus sites and belongs to the Vilanova de Meià town council.

The exhibition occupies two rooms. In one, the history of life in the sea is traced using the Garcia-Castellanos collection, donated to the council, with particular attention to the fossils of the municipality, which show what the sea was like at the end of the Cretaceous, some 80 million years ago, in the place where the Montsec stands today.

The other room is devoted to the lithographic limestone deposits of the Pedrera de Meià and La Cabroa. Over thousands of years, the remains of creatures that lived in a freshwater lake some 125 million years ago accumulated there, and the fossils preserve the original shape of animals and plants. These deposits have made it possible to describe more than a hundred species new to science, among them the first flowering plant (Montsechia), a small crocodile (Montsecosuchus), frogs and a toothed bird (Noguerornis).

Since April 2021 a selection of the finest fossils from these sites, lent by the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs of the Diputació de Lleida, has also been on display: on the ground floor, an introduction to the wealth of fossils in the Montsec and the types of fossilisation, and on the second floor, insects, crustaceans, plants and fish. The centre has a shop selling products related to the Mesozoic world.

Highlights

• Fossils from the Pedrera de Meià and La Cabroa sites
• Garcia-Castellanos collection on the history of life in the sea
• Montsechia, the first flowering plant, and the bird Noguerornis
• Selection from the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs on display since 2021

Permanent exhibition

• Exposición permanente sobre los fósiles del Montsec – Two rooms with the Garcia-Castellanos collection and a selection of fossils from the Pedrera de Meià and La Cabroa: insects, crustaceans, plants and fish.

Operated by

Ajuntament de Vilanova de Meià

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The centre offers games and teaching units for families or school groups.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop with products related to the Mesozoic world, games and teaching units.

Events & venue rental

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