Turnery Museum

The Turnery Museum at Torelló examines the process industrialization in wood-turning and horn-turning, during which traditional craft workshops were replaced by factories that made components for the Catalan textile industry. It is sited in the former Vidal factory, built between 1888 and 1901. The three-storey building had a steam engine to power line-shafts and belt-drives to the lathes. Later, the engine generated electricity for lighting and electric motors. In 1964, the factory closed and many changes were made to the complex. However, the City Council acquired it in 1998 and rehabilitated it, collected objects and developed displays in collaboration with mNACTEC, the Museums of Science and Technology of Catalunya. On the ground floor, the Museum explains the manufacture of objects such as cotton reels and spindles for the textile industry, from collecting raw materials to assembling finished products. The first floor explains the evolution of turning and shows other diverse products, including spinning wheels, furniture, tableware and children’s toys.