The CIMIX
The Xuvia Industrial Mill Interpretation Centre (CIMIX) is a modern infrastructure located in the old flour factories built by Frenchman Juan Lestache in 1775, restored and recovered for citizens by Narón’s council.
The complex, which encompasses the old mills, grain and flour warehouses and the owner’s house, hosts today an institution aimed at spreading the enthralling story of one of Galicia’s most thriving industries at the time. This modern exhibition has all of the right elements to turn the visit into an enjoyable and unforgettable experience. Along its rooms, we can see a complete restoration of the mill machinery, we can know about the evolution of the milling techniques over the years by means of mock-up models, we can see how a milling working day was back in the 18th century and we can closely review the life of Juan Lestache, the entrepreneur who created a true industrial and commercial emporium, whose trade route reached Europe and America.
The interpretation centre features kind easy-to-understand wording and material apt for all ages. To achieve this goal, the CIMIX has varied audiovisual resources, touch-sensitive and interactive elements, games and mock-up models available.
The recovery of the ethnographic, cultural, architectural and historical heritage is particularly relevant for the tourist development of a territory. For this reason, the council of Narón started the recovery of the Xuvia Industrial Mills with the purchase of the building. This process spanned between 2002 and 2009, when it finally became municipal property. In 2010, works of vital importance were carried out to stop its deterioration, as was the case of the roof restoration. After that, there was an ambitious comprehensive recovery and restoration project for the building complex, to recover milling practices with museography purposes, with the aim of turning it into the interpretation centre it is today.
But such a comprehensive action entailed a large funding for making it a reality. Precisely, always having those resources under consideration, the council of Narón submitted the project for it to be assessed for European funds by Spain’s 2014-2020 ERDF Multiregional Operational Programme, also having been economically endorsed by A Coruña Province Council. Thanks to all of these achievements, today we can enjoy the wonders of this splendid Xuvia Industrial Mill Interpretation Centre.
The works focused on returning the original architectural appearance with the roof installation and the wall polishing, which had been progressively lost as some old pictures show.
There was also a full restoration inside of the millstones and the machinery with their tuns, hoppers and pit wheels equipped to work as back in the times of Lestache himself and the rest of the areas were arranged with the purpose of having different functions, such as reception, permanent exhibition, and multipurpose room for events, temporary exhibitions and didactic activities.
The project was not just about the buildings; there was also an environmental recovery of the mills’ external area with the cleaning of the Xuvia riverbanks, the clearing of the invasive vegetation and the removal of the river’s organic material accumulated against the building due to the force of the water.
