Igualada Muleteer's Museum
Encyclopedia
The Igualada Muleteer's Museum - Antoni Ros collection (in Catalan language
Museu del Traginer - Col·lecció Antoni Ros) is a museum located in Igualada
, Catalonia
, Spain
, that displays the evolution of transport using mule
s, horse
s and other animals, and the different relationships between several trades that paved the way for the profession of muleteer, including the cart
er, cooper
, saddler
, tanner, wicker
weaver
, farrier
, veterinarian
, stablehand, woodcutter and wood
hauler, harness maker
and blacksmith
.
The museum displays 39 carriage
s and cart
s and a total of 2.175 items, most of them part of the collection created by Antoni Ros i Vilarrubias (1942–1994). The museum is located near the old city center, at an old farmhouse from the 18th century, which was purchased in the 1970s by the Ros family, a family closely linked to the "Antic Gremi de Traginers d'Igualada" muleteer association.
It is distributed into three main thematic areas ("oficis" - occupation
s; "selles i guarniments" – saddle
s and bridle
s; "carros i carruatges" - cart
s and carriage
s).
The Ros family, owner of the collection created by Antoni Ros i Vilarrubias, was in charge of the foundation, and contacted a team of professionals that prepared the Museum project. The museum was permanently open on September 24th 2005, and became part of the museum network managed by the Diputació de Barcelona.
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
Museu del Traginer - Col·lecció Antoni Ros) is a museum located in Igualada
Igualada
Igualada is a municipality of the province of Barcelona in Catalonia . It is located on the left bank of the Anoia river, and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the Anoia comarca, a rich agricultural and wine-producing...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, that displays the evolution of transport using mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and other animals, and the different relationships between several trades that paved the way for the profession of muleteer, including the cart
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
er, cooper
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
, saddler
Saddler
Saddler is both a skilled trade and a surname. As a trade, it refers to the occupation of making saddles.Saddler may refer to* Osmund Saddler* Sandy SaddlerAlso* Saddler, reporting name for the R-16 missile...
, tanner, wicker
Wicker
Wicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
weaver
Basket weaving
Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
, farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
, veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, stablehand, woodcutter and wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
hauler, harness maker
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
and blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
.
The museum displays 39 carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s and cart
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
s and a total of 2.175 items, most of them part of the collection created by Antoni Ros i Vilarrubias (1942–1994). The museum is located near the old city center, at an old farmhouse from the 18th century, which was purchased in the 1970s by the Ros family, a family closely linked to the "Antic Gremi de Traginers d'Igualada" muleteer association.
It is distributed into three main thematic areas ("oficis" - occupation
Occupation
Occupation may refer to:*Job , a regular activity performed for payment, that occupies one's time**Employment, a person under service of another by hire**Career, a course through life**Profession, a vocation founded upon specialized training...
s; "selles i guarniments" – saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
s and bridle
Bridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
s; "carros i carruatges" - cart
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
s and carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s).
History of the Museum
The "Traginer d'Igualada" foundation was created in 1994 in Igualada with the objective of creating the Muleteer's Museum.The Ros family, owner of the collection created by Antoni Ros i Vilarrubias, was in charge of the foundation, and contacted a team of professionals that prepared the Museum project. The museum was permanently open on September 24th 2005, and became part of the museum network managed by the Diputació de Barcelona.
Collection
The museum has more than 1000 square meters of exhibition space, distributed in 3 floors:- At the 1st floor there is a room displaying the muleteer trade evolution, and a "Sala dels Oficis" room displaying 10 trades including the cartCartA cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
er, cooperCooper (profession)Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
, saddlerSaddlerSaddler is both a skilled trade and a surname. As a trade, it refers to the occupation of making saddles.Saddler may refer to* Osmund Saddler* Sandy SaddlerAlso* Saddler, reporting name for the R-16 missile...
, tanner, wickerWickerWicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
weaverBasket weavingBasket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
, farrierFarrierA farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
, veterinarianVeterinarianA veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, stablehand, woodcutter and woodWoodWood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
hauler, harness makerHorse harnessA horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
and blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. - At the 2nd floor there is a "Sala dels Guarniments" room displaying horse tackHorse tackTack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...
, a "Tres Tombs" room showing this tradition, and a "Sala dels carros de servei i pagesia" room showing carts and farming items. - At the 3rd floor there is a "Sala dels Carruatges de la Burgesia" with carriages, and a room dedicated to Antoni Ros, founder of the museum collection, where there is a display of some sculptures created by him.
External links
- Muleteer's Museum at Igualada Tourism site
- Official site of the Museum
- Photos and detailed description , magazine of "Unió Empresarial de l'Anoia"