Interpretative Center of the Borralha Mines

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Vila Real > Montalegre > Salto > Borralha

Location

The Borralha Mines Interpretive Centre is located in Borralha, a former mining area in the village of Salto, part of the municipality of Montalegre. This site, once a vibrant hub of industrial activity, is situated in a landscape that both shaped and was shaped by mining. Its position offers a perspective on the relationship between man, industry, and nature in the Barroso region.

Memory of an Era

Inaugurated in 2015, the Borralha Mines Interpretive Centre stems from an effort to preserve and make known a highly relevant industrial and mining heritage. This space is dedicated to the history of the Borralha tungsten mines, which were in operation between 1902 and 1986. For several decades, these mines were an economic and social pillar for the region, becoming one of the largest employers and population centres in the municipality of Montalegre, accommodating thousands of people. The centre offers an opportunity to understand the impact of this exploitation on local life and the surrounding landscape.

Material and Documentary Heritage

A visit to the Interpretive Centre allows exploration of various buildings and spaces that bear witness to mining activity. Group D, which served as the mine's reception area, is now the heart of the museum centre, housing exhibition areas. The Smelter, another significant building, is prepared for future exhibitions. One of the highlights of the visit is the Compressor House, a longitudinal building that houses four large compressors, truly imposing pieces of 1930s industrial engineering. The Archive, in turn, preserves a vast documentary and geological collection, revealing the details of operations and the site's mineralogical richness, with emphasis on quartz veins with wolframite and scheelite, and aplite-pegmatite veins with cassiterite.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt