Sa Perola Interpretation Centre facts for kids
Sa Perola is a special building in Calella de Palafrugell, a town in the Baix Empordà region. It used to be a place where fishermen dyed their nets. This helped the nets last longer. The building is located on Carrer de les Voltes.
For a long time, the records about this dyeing house were kept by the people who ran it. Later, these important documents were moved to the Municipal File of Palafrugell.
Today, Sa Perola is a popular spot for visitors. It works as a tourist office, helping people find their way around. It's also an interpretation center. This means it teaches visitors all about fishing in Calella and the history of the sea in the whole area. Sa Perola is a very important historical place for Calella de Palafrugell. It shows us a lot about the local culture, how people lived, and their traditions. It's even more important because many other net-dyeing houses along the Catalan Coast have been destroyed.
The Story of Sa Perola
The Sa Perola building was probably built around the late 1700s. It was made by the Fishermen's Association of Palafrugell. Fishermen used the building to dye their cotton nets. This made the nets stronger and helped them last longer in the sea. It was also a place where fishermen could meet and talk.
In 1865, a fisherman named Joan Bofill i Codina bought the house. He was from Calella de Palafrugell. This happened when the old sailors' union broke up. Just three years later, in 1868, he sold it to the Fisherman's Guild. This way, all the fishermen could use it together.
Over time, Sa Perola was used less and less. By the 1960s, new materials like nylon became popular for fishing nets. Nylon nets did not need to be dyed, so the old dyeing houses were not as important.
In 1986, the Fishermen's Association gave the Sa Perola building to the City of Palafrugell. They had one condition: the building had to be used for the public. So, the ground floor became the tourist office for Calella de Palafrugell. Then, in 2010, the Sa Perola Interpretation Center officially opened. Its goal is to share the rich history of fishing and the sea in Palafrugell.
The Sa Perola Interpretation Center works to keep knowledge about the sea and fishing alive. This includes information about fishermen's homes, small huts, and old watchtowers. Different groups have worked together on this project. These include the Municipal Archive of Palafrugell, the Palafrugell Economic Promotion Institute (IPEP), and the Fishing Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Sa Perola para niños
