La Farga Palau in Ripoll was set up as an iron forge in the 17th century, and remained in operation for four centuries up until 1978. Aside from being the only forge in Catalonia still producing copper up until the second half of the 20th century, the most distinctive features of the Palau forge are the two hydraulic drop hammers installed there.

The industrial complex is divided into two spaces. The first contains the forge, with the water pumps, the drop hammers, the coal store, the furnace and the hearth. Separate from the workshop, we have the waterwheel, the mill race and the basin used to store water from the River Freser, to move the wheel and generate the continuous flow of air for which the ‘Catalan forge’ method is known.

Visitors to the forge can explore the installations and learn how the site was originally operated to obtain and produce iron. The facility has a unique access system in place, allowing independent visits by purchasing a ticket at reception in the Ripoll Ethnographic Museum.

La Farga Palau is one of the sites of the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC).