Tiana, Museum The Ways of Water - Gualchiera

The nucleus of the Museum of Industrial Archaeology “The Streets of Water” consists of a mill and two gualqueria, buildings that constitute two examples of industrial and rural archeology, still in perfect working order.
The gualqueria were built in the 18th century, simple stone buildings with wooden covers, were used for the crowning (beating) of the orbace, a typical Sardinian cloth obtained from sheep's wool. With the large wooden hammers driven by the water of the Rio Torrei, he beat the orbace to soften it and make it waterproof and more resistant.
While the mill was used to grind wheat produced in the Tìana valleys.
Orbace is an ancient fabric obtained from the spinning of sheep's wool through a specific processing, and it is the oldest known Sardinian fabric; it was produced in large quantities as early as 206 BC and was the most used traditional Sardinian fabric until 1900. It was of different quality and workmanship depending on the social categories for which it was intended and for various uses: from su gabbanu or saccu de imboddiare (shepherd's coat), to traditional costume clothing.
The fabric is made of canvas and the color, typically dark, is given by dyeing.
The peculiarity of the orbace, obtained by selecting the longest hairs during the carding phase, is that it has undergone, after weaving, the process of crowding, which causes its felting. For this reason, to carry out this process, after weaving, the orbace was carried into the gualqueria, is craccheras, passed to the bathroom and crowded for a long time with wooden hammers driven by blue hydraulic wheels. This process caused felting and made the fabric waterproof.
The last phase of the processing was dyeing, which was made using the most easily available and most effective natural dyes to obtain black, brown, yellow and red. Once upon a time, the gualcheri were numerous, all located along the river in order to exploit the motive power of the water, and were the main economic resource of the country.

Why is it important to visit it
A special feature, which makes a visit to the Museum System of the Gualcheros even more interesting, is the possibility of being able to see the ancient machinery in operation.

Tag

Structure category: industrial archeology

Content type: Sites or plants

Usability: Open

Province: Nuoro

Common: Tiana

Macro Territorial Area: Central Sardinia

POSTAL CODE: 08020

Address: SS 128 - località Gusabu

Telephone: +39 366 2553122 +39 0784 69040

E-mail: educ.insieme@gmail.com soc.coop.educareinsiemeonlus@pec.it

Website: www.comune.tiana.nu.it/index.php/vivere/cultura/16

January - December

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Information on tickets and access: Updated ticket information is temporarily unavailable; please contact the property in advance for information. Both a gualchiera and the mill are put into operation during the guided tour of the site.

Access mode: For a fee

Services information: To use the services of the didactic-educational laboratories and guided tours, reservations are necessary.

Update

13/11/2023 - 12:20

Services

Teaching room