On 13 June, coinciding with the celebration of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of tanners, the Museu de la Pell d’Igualada marked its 70th anniversary.

In 1954, a section devoted to leather was opened at the museum of the city of Igualada, located in the Garcia Fossas school. This leather section was promoted by the Centre d’Estudis Comarcals d’Igualada and the Gremi de Blanquers d’Igualada, the employers’ association that preceded and gave rise to Leather Cluster Barcelona.

Years later, in 1990, the Cal Granotes tannery opened to the public as a museum; and between 1986 and 1999 the leather museum was moved to the former Cal Boyer textile factory.

Throughout their history, the Museu de la Pell and Cal Granotes have established themselves as showcases for industrial heritage, focusing on the tanning and textile industries, activities that are part of the identity, history, present and future of the city of Igualada.

Today, the Museum has become the venue for numerous cultural initiatives that count on the support of the associative fabric. It works to include and involve local organisations and stakeholders so that they become protagonists and take part in culture and heritage.

The Museu de la Pell d’Igualada has worked in a network with Catalan museums, especially with the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC) and with the Network of Local Museums of the Culture area of the Barcelona Provincial Council, with the aim of highlighting and raising awareness of heritage and promoting industrial tourism.

Throughout all these years there has been close collaboration between the Museum and the leather sector, first with the Gremi de Blanquers d’Igualada and later with Leather Cluster Barcelona.

In this respect, the Museu de la Pell d’Igualada and Leather Cluster Barcelona have stepped up their cluster-based cooperation with a range of activities. The museum, as the cluster’s benchmark member in culture and history, is an important ambassador and a key player in providing information and generating a positive current of opinion about the leather sector among the public.

The Museu de la Pell d’Igualada is 70 years old and is celebrating with an eye on the future. On the one hand, with the exciting project of new museography at the Cal Granotes tannery, which will be more immersive, accessible and sustainable, with a commitment to turning this facility into an open door inviting visitors to discover the heritage of the most important industrial neighbourhood in our country, the Rec district. On the other, with the renovation of the shop and visitor reception area at Cal Boyer, which will take shape this year.

Seven decades that encourage it to take on new objectives and the challenge of making the Museu de la Pell d’Igualada a modern museum that is more social and participatory.

A programme commemorating the 70th anniversary, running through the last quarter of 2024, will be presented shortly.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is a competitive cooperation environment for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector within the framework of Shared Value policies. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.