When we think of museums, we normally imagine rooms full of paintings and sculptures that have marked different stages of art history. However, museums are much more than spaces dedicated to visual arts. In reality, its purpose is to conserve, in addition to other artistic values whose value lies in registering and showing the scientific, social, historical or natural advances that have allowed human progress throughout the centuries.
This is the case of the Bolarque Museum, of the Naturgy company, opened in 1977 with the mission of conserving industrial heritage through its collection, capable of telling the history of the energy sector of Spain. At present, the museum collection is made up of more than 1,000 pieces, between original objects and documents, period furniture and large machines. In addition, an important photographic background shows the construction and operation of the Bolarque Salto Hydroelectric Plant. Place where this museum space places.
A Time Tour
Bolarque is one of the oldest hydraulic plants in Spain located in a place of great natural beauty. With a strong historical relevance, its original origins date back to the SXII and the hydroelectric power plant was inaugurated in 1910.
There are and preserved the archaeological remains of this hydraulic use that date back to the twelfth century when the first mill that took advantage of the force of the water and that would end up becoming the largest mill in the province of Guadalajara. At the beginning of the 20th century, the orographic characteristics of the land made Bolarque, the ideal place for construction, of the so -called Bolarque Salto with the purpose of illuminating the city of Madrid.
Both the central and the museum are located at the foot of the Sierra de Altomira, the point where the Tagus receives the waters of Guadiela, southwest of the area of La Alcarria. Currently, the Bolarque Salto is formed by 3 active hydroelectric plants, but the primitive central, current headquarters of the museum is also preserved in perfect condition. Its importance has done nothing but grow to become a clear world example of renewable energy use and one of the most efficient hydroelectric plants in Europe.
Throughout the tour of the Bolarque Hydroelectric Power Plant, an itinerary that reviews the process of production, generation, transformation and transport of electricity can be completed. The visit is complemented in the museum, which following a historical temporal line contemplates the development of the energy sector through machinery and original documents from different eras.
The Naturgy Museum
The museum is located in the main nave of what was the first hydraulic central opened in 1910 and whose construction was a true engineering milestone of the early twentieth century. In 2016 its management passed to the Naturgy Foundation that in a few years has developed a new offer of training activities and a museum reform that allows permanent exhibition to combine with the organization of activities and workshops for all audiences.
The museum offer has various permanent and temporary exhibitions that address issues such as the evolution of hydroelectric technology, the history of the Bolarque Central and the importance of sustainable energy. Permanent exposure reviews the history of energy through technological advances and transformations in society and industry. The tour ends with a reflection on the future of energies, energy efficiency and sustainability.