Cueva Museo de Cerámica y Vidrio de Valdemorillo (CUMVAL)

Industrial archaeology museum in the Casa de Cultura Giralt Laporta in Valdemorillo, on the earthenware, porcelain and glass of the former factory.

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About the museum

The Cueva Museo de Cerámica y Vidrio (CUMVAL) is an industrial archaeology museum, unique in the Community of Madrid, which tells the story of ceramic production in Spain and the transition from a rural to an industrial society, from the mid-19th century until the Civil War. The two buildings that house the collection are part of the museum itself: the cave and the Casa de Cultura Giralt Laporta.

The first stage corresponds to the Sociedad de Aulencia (1845–1913), the factory of Juan Falcó, which produced high-quality fine earthenware, won prizes at national and international fairs, was one of the first to decorate its wares with transfers and supplied dinner services to Alfonso XII and Alfonso XIII. The second stage is that of Juan Giralt e hijos (1917–1936), which expanded production to include glass for laboratories and pharmacies and made Spain’s first fire-resistant glass, under the VALMA brand. In 1936 the factory was evacuated and was later destroyed by the bombing during the Battle of Brunete.

The cave is a 17th-century granite vault that was used as a kaolin rotting pit and probably as a cold store. The Casa de Cultura was built around the three kilns of the former factory, using mostly ceramic materials; its three chimneys are a symbol of the town. Other pieces of earthenware, porcelain and glass are displayed there.

Highlights

17th-century granite cave
Fine earthenware of the Sociedad de Aulencia (1845–1913)
Spain’s first fire-resistant glass, under the VALMA brand
Casa de Cultura built around the factory’s kilns
Three chimneys, a symbol of the local industrial heritage