Ecomuseu Farinera de Castelló d'Empúries

About the museum

The Farinera de Castelló d'Empúries is an early 20th-century flour mill converted into a museum, which preserves in situ the machinery of the industrial process that turned wheat into flour. It stands on the former Molí del Mig, which at the end of the 19th century was transformed into a modern factory using the Austro-Hungarian system of gradual roller milling, and it is fed by the Rec del Molí, a canal of medieval origin that starts at the lock of Vilanova de la Muga.

The Castelló d'Empúries City Council acquired the building and the canal in 1995 to turn them into an ecomuseum, which opened to the public in 1998. The museum is registered in the Register of Museums of Catalonia and since 2010 has been a section of the Sistema Territorial of the Museu de la Ciència i la Tècnica de Catalunya. It also belongs to the Xarxa Territorial de Museus de les Comarques de Girona and the Xarxa de Turisme Industrial de Catalunya.

Thanks to funding from Next Generation EU, the museum has renewed its presentation with two large permanent spaces. “La Fàbrica de farina” tells the story of wheat and flour, from medieval mills to the industrial revolution, and explains the Francis turbine and the role of water as a source of energy. “ÀgoraTeca” starts from wheat and bread to reflect on food, health and sustainability.

The museum also offers a programme of family workshops, guided tours, theatrical visits and an app for exploring the surroundings of the Rec del Molí.

Highlights

• Original flour-mill machinery and Francis turbine
• “La Fàbrica de farina” exhibition: from the medieval mill to industrial milling
• “ÀgoraTeca”, an interactive exhibition on food, health and sustainability
• Rec del Molí, a medieval canal next to the museum
• Family workshops one Saturday a month, except in summer

Permanent exhibitions

• La Fàbrica de farina – A journey through the history of wheat and flour, from medieval mills to the late-19th-century industrial factory, with the Francis turbine and the full flour-making process.
• ÀgoraTeca. Alimentar-nos: molt més que menjar – Interactive route starting from wheat, flour and bread to address food, health and sustainability, with a display of breads from around the world.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Ayuntamiento de Castelló d'Empúries (ente autónomo Ecomuseu-Farinera)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Open-door days: 2 February, 18 May, 10 August, the European Heritage Days and Science Week.

Temporary exhibitions are free of charge. Admission is also free for unemployed people registered in the municipality, ICOM members, accredited teachers and language-tandem volunteers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: not available
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The permanent exhibition covers three floors and is fully accessible by wheelchair, with interior ramps and a lift. Three accessible toilets on the ground floor. One municipal space for people with reduced mobility next to the main entrance and two in the car park, 25 m away. Tactile paving routes. Free audioguides in Catalan, French, English and Spanish; an easy-read guide at reception. There is no tactile route at present. The lifts have no audio announcements.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

Family workshop programme one Saturday a month, except in the summer season. Baby-changing facilities in the ground-floor toilets. The exhibitions include interactive resources.

Getting there & parking

Next to the museum there is an electric charging point for bicycles on the Vies Verdes. You can arrive by bicycle on the Pirinexus route, from Empuriabrava and the beaches via the Camí natural de la Muga (5 km), or from the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park via the Ruta dels Estanys (38 km).

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit