Museu Vi-Vent Capmany

The Capmany Vi-Vent Museum is much more than an exhibition space: it's a tribute to the vineyard, the wine, and the people who, for generations, have shaped the winemaking identity of the Empordà region. Located in the heart of this Alt Empordà municipality, the museum occupies the eastern nave of the former El Parral Cooperative Winery, the oldest in the region, founded in 1916.

With a contemporary museum concept, Vi-Vent invites visitors on an emotional and sensorial journey through the history of wine, connecting the agricultural past with the wine tourism present and the region's future prospects. Ultimately, it is a meeting point between tradition and modernity, between wine culture and the daily lives of the inhabitants of Capmany.

A space with soul and history

The museum is housed in a building steeped in symbolism. The El Parral Agricultural Union, once the town's economic and social driving force, was born from the collective efforts of the local peasantry. In its early 20th century, winemaking employed a large portion of the population, and the cooperative represented a shared project of work and prosperity.

Over the years, and in the face of economic and social changes in the agricultural sector, the cooperative gradually declined in activity until it closed its doors in the 1990s. In 2010, the last Board of Directors, chaired by Josep Duran Cardoner, handed the building over to the Capmany City Council. What had been a collective symbol fell silent, awaiting a new purpose.

This new lease of life came with the municipal government elected in 2015, which took on the challenge of restoring the building as the vibrant center of the town. The renovation process was carried out in several stages:

In 2016, the oldest warehouse was restored, housing the Capmany Agrobodega, a showcase for local wineries and a meeting point for wine tourists.

In 2019, the central nave was restored and converted into a space for events and celebrations, such as the popular Wine Tasting during the Fiesta Mayor (Major Festival), which attracts hundreds of people each year.

And finally, between 2023 and 2024, the Vi-Vent Museum was established, located in the eastern warehouse, with the aim of giving voice to the winemaking memory of the Empordà and consolidating Capmany as the wine capital of the region.

The story of wine: from past to present

The Vi-Vent Museum was conceived as an interpretation center that combines heritage, technology, and emotion. Its mission is to explain the story of Empordà wine from a human and local perspective.

The tour begins with a permanent collection of historical tools and utensils used in vineyard cultivation and winemaking. These objects, generously donated by the Cabañó family, are part of a collective legacy that helps us understand how manual labor, the land, and the climate have shaped the region's identity.

A walkway then leads visitors to the most immersive part of the museum: the winery's old cement vats, still coated with the wine's natural tartar. In this space, the past comes to life through audiovisual projections and sensory experiences that tell the story of the vineyard throughout the four seasons.

The images and sounds evoke the Empordà landscapes, the hands working the land, the force of the Tramuntana wind, and the light caressing the vineyards . In some projections, the visual language is inspired by Dalí's surrealist universe, creating an atmosphere where art and agriculture merge into a single emotion.

The result is a 40-minute experience that goes far beyond a conventional museum visit: it's a sensory journey through the memory and culture of Empordà wine.

More than a museum: a living space

The Vi-Vent Museum is not just a place to visit, but a living and participatory project. It aims to maintain the relationship between Capmany and wine by promoting educational activities, guided tastings, meetings with winemakers, and collaborations with other wineries in the region.

Since its opening, the museum has attracted the interest of visitors, students, and industry professionals, who have found it a place to learn and reflect on the winemaking heritage of the Empordà region.

Admission costs a nominal 5 euros and is open on weekends, while during the week visits can be arranged by writing to ajuntament@capmany.cat or calling 628 23 76 98.

The museum is part of a network of initiatives that position Capmany as one of the wine capitals of the DO Empordà, along with its wineries, wine tourism routes, and the municipal Agrobodega.

A legacy for the future

With the Vi-Vent Museum, Capmany has transformed an industrial space into a cultural center with soul, capable of telling the story of a people and a region through wine.

It's a place where the past is present, and where every corner exudes a passion for the land, a job well done, and a shared memory. Vi-Vent not only preserves Capmany's winemaking legacy but also projects it into the future, proud to be—in the words of its founders— "the heartbeat of Empordà wine."