Living Oil Museum (Muro)

Bookmark (0)
CloseTo login click here

The Living Museum of the Oil of Muro is installed in the Town Hall and was inaugurated at the beginning of 2003. Its first presentation to the general public was not only the exhibition of a recently refurbished enclosure that housed pieces that were used to produce oil. On this occasion it revived a method that had been abandoned for several decades to produce this product.

During the 19th century, the oil mills ceased to be a royalty of the lord after the growing push of a new social class, the bourgeoisie. The constant indebtedness of the feudal lords to the wealthy bourgeoisie and population growth made it difficult to maintain these royalties.

From now on, the landowners exploited the land freely and directly, directing production towards those products that were more profitable, among which were the vine and the olive tree, in which new techniques were introduced thanks to industrialization.

The abolition of feudal rights over oil mills or mills led to the proliferation of oil mills during the 19th century, many of which lasted until the middle of the 20th century. In Muro, during this period a total of 12 urban oil mills were created and 6 in the country houses.

In the exhibition currently located in the municipal premises, all the elements are shown, a “almàssera de sang” (blood storage) characteristic of the end of the 19th century, owned by one of the great landowning families of Muro. The exhibition is completed by other objects of an ethnological nature that form part of the museum collection currently in possession.