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The Colonia Llaudet Museum is inaugurated
A project that drives the recovery of the industrial fabric and promotes new cultural and economic initiatives in Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
The textile colony of Sant Joan de les Abadesses, which was a key piece of the industrial fabric of Ripollès, is now becoming a space of memory and dynamism, transforming itself into a museum that explains an important part of local history and opens doors to new business and cultural projects. This new stage officially began on Saturday, May 24 with the inauguration of the Museu de la Colònia Llaudet . The facility occupies one of the warehouses of the old factory and aims to explain how this industrial nucleus worked, what role it had in the life of the town and how it has come to this day. We find everything from original pieces to documentary material, presented with a combination of exhibition resources that allow us to better understand the impact it had on the development of the area.
The factory, dedicated to cotton spinning and twisting, began operating under the management of the Llaudet family at the beginning of the 20th century, although the origins of the space date back to the end of the 19th century. It maintained its activity until the beginning of the 21st century and, after a few years of standstill, the Catalan Soil Institute acquired the complex in 2007. Since then, the City Council and INCASÒL have worked together to recover and give new meaning to the area.
The building that houses the museum has been renovated, maintaining its original structure and adapting it to new uses. In addition to the interpretation center, a meeting room, a co-working space called Colònia Creativa, designed for local entrepreneurs, and a rooftop parking lot have been created. The project, which has progressed in four phases, has involved an investment of over a million euros, financed with European funds and support from various administrations such as the Generalitat, the Diputació de Girona and the Consell Comarcal del Ripollès.
During the inauguration ceremony, the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque , highlighted that this initiative not only highlights industrial heritage, but also aligns with sustainability and energy transition policies. In this sense, a study is planned to evaluate the recovery of the hydroelectric power plant linked to the colony, which was in operation until 2006. Energètica, the public company of the Generalitat, will be responsible for carrying out this analysis and proposing possible scenarios to return it to operation, with an estimated power of up to 720 kW and partial financing from the Climate Fund.
Colònia Llaudet (c. 1920)
The Llaudet Colony
Located next to the Ter River in Sant Joan de les Abadesses, it was born as an industrial hub dedicated to cotton spinning and twisting. The first buildings were promoted by Thomas Alexander, but it would be Josep Maria Llaudet who, from 1901, took the reins and consolidated its development. Despite the fire it suffered in 1939 with the withdrawal of the Republican troops, the factory was rebuilt and continued its activity under the name Hilaturas Llaudet SA. Currently, this complex is part of the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia and is listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. With the launch of the new museum and the opening of new spaces for contemporary projects, the colony is transformed into a meeting point between memory and future, maintaining its link with the territory.
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