Capellades is
a small town in the county of Anoia. It
has an area of some 2.90 km
2
and just over 5,100 inhabitants.
The town has some important architectural
heritage sites from the 17th to 19th centuries,
such as
Casa Bas, the Church of
Saint Mary, or the group of houses in the
Font de la Reina district.
The town is famous for the abundance of
water within its boundaries, which was a
determining factor in its history and its
landscape. The
Font Cuitora, the
gardens surrounding the small lake known
as
La Bassa or the impressive cliffs
known as the
Cinglera del Capelló
are just the most notable examples.
The latter named site, a product of the
filtration of water over millennia, is a
place of natural interest and it is also
where the archaeological excavation known
as the
Abric Romaní, can
be found. This dig is one of the most important
scientific sites in Europe for the investigation
of the Palaeolithic era, and especially
Neanderthal culture.
The natural spring that is the source of
La Bassa, together with the River
Anoia were decisive in the location of mills
in the area and in the establishment of
the paper industry in the 17th century.
In the area there are some very important
pre-industrial archaeological sites such
as the
Molí de la Vila —currently
the Capellades Paper Museum— and the
Molí de cal Munné
(formerly the Molí de cal Farreras),
both linked to traditional manufacturing
of paper by hand.
Today, Capellades continues to hold an important
position in the paper field due to the number
of paper works in the area and the diversity
of products manufactured there (filter paper,
writing paper, card, tissue, wrapping paper
or cardboard). Together with the graphic
arts and textiles, paper forms one of the
most important economic activities in this
well established industrial town.
