L'Espluga de Francolí

Surrounded by the Francolí river and the Prades mountains is Espluga de Francolí, a town in the Conca de Barberà region located in the interior of the province of Tarragona.

Its name comes from the Latin " spelunca " which means cave. It is quite significant since in 1853 the Font Major cave was discovered in this territory. This cave has been classified as a "great cavity" since it is huge, reaching more than 3,590 meters of galleries. In addition, an underground river runs through it that goes outside through the main fountain. This source is considered as the source of the Francolí river. Also, since the cave was discovered, an archaeological site was found that justifies the presence of man in it.

The town has several museums. The Caves of l'Espluga, where you can take a guided tour inside these cavities; the Museum of Rural Life, where they show us tools and traditional trades of the area, family customs, among other things; and the Wine Museum, located in the modernist cooperative winery of l' Espluga, which is the oldest in Catalonia and was a project by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. As an anecdotal note, it must be added that Àngel Guimerà baptized this winery with the name of the Cathedral of Wine.

Also, highlight the old hospital of the order of San Juan. This was created by the Knights Hospitaller between the 15th and 16th centuries.

Delving into history, it is said that in 1837 the remains of the Catalan kings were hidden under the stairs of the old church of Sant Miquel, since they had been desecrated in the Poblet Monastery. This was set on fire with the third Carlist wars in 1873.

The proximity of the Poblet Monastery and the fact that it is of great importance has led to the incorporation of various services in the population to complement it. However, traditionally the economy of this municipality was based on agriculture.

Regarding the natural environment of this town, we can appreciate that on one side the forest (south) predominates and on the other the mountains, fields and streams. In the middle of this panorama is hidden the hermitage of the Holy Trinity.

attractions

The Espluga Caves offer the visitor an open door to the geological and prehistoric past of our regions. The Cuevas de l'Espluga are made up of two cavities set up as a museum. The Cueva de la Villa dedicated to the Paleolithic and the Font Major cave, to the Neolithic, the geological formation and its discovery.

During the visit, 450 meters of galleries are covered, always accompanied by a guide who uses various audiovisuals, didactic models and representations.

Beyond the museum, for the more adventurous, the cave offers a caving tour, with neoprene suits, a helmet and a carbide lamp, material that is provided from the cave. The visitor can discover the most unusual and surprising galleries going up the underground river, which when it comes out is called Francolí.

The New Museum of Rural Life responds to the will of the Lluís Carulla Foundation to modernize and expand its facilities. Twenty years after its inauguration, with the construction of a new building and the modernization of the museographic discourse, which includes numerous audiovisuals, interactive spaces, a giant kinetic kaleidoscope, dioramas and virtual theater galleries, the Museum is transformed into a fully adapted space in the XXI century, of 2,900 M2.

The Modernist Winery - Wine Museum, was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and built by his son Pere Domènech i Roura, in 1913. Due to its majesty it is known as the "Cathedral of Wine". The wineries are set up as a museum where the visitor is introduced to the world of the vineyard, the grape harvest and wine. The visit continues through the noble floor and through an overpass from which you can admire the arches of the magnificent construction.

Fassina Balanyà de la Espluga de Francolí was a family business that was dedicated to the production process of obtaining alcohol from the breeze of the grape. The factory, which dates back to the mid-19th century, was in operation until the 1950s and was closed for various reasons, one of which was the need for a major reform that the owners could not afford.

The closure and abandonment of the building with no alternative use allowed it to remain, forty years later, practically the same as they had left it. This led to the L'Espluga City Council acquiring the property and declaring it of local interest, and with the support of the Lluís Carulla Foundation and the Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia began a work of study, research and recovery of the building to incorporate it into the System of the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia and thus publicize a key industrial activity in our country over the last three centuries.

The old alcohol factory -breeze factory, the workers said- reopened its doors this year 2009 with a very different function. It is one of the 25 industrial museums of the System of the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia, where the operation of the fassina is shown during the years of the Spanish civil war and where the visitor can learn about the production processes to obtain alcohol and their derivatives from the breeze, the tools they used and the society of the people who participated. You can also grasp the importance of this activity during the industrial revolution in Catalonia, which allowed an accelerated development of the industrial fabric.

Routes. From the Espluga de Francolí you can take different hiking routes through the Prades mountains, one of which takes us to the Santísima Trinidad, a place of leisure and recreation.

Gastronomy. We cannot forget the delicious sweets from La Espluga, the famous carquinyolis, fans and wafers. Don't forget to try the DOP Siurana Oil or its DO Conca de Barberà wines either.