Catalan town makes old shops into museums

The Catalan village of Calaf, in central Catalonia, has its own market every Saturday. A long time ago - as far back as the 13th century, in fact - the market was held in the Plaça Gran square of the town, so much of the commerce blossomed under the historical archways that surrounded it. As the town grew, the market and many shops moved to new areas, and Plaça Gran, little by little, lost the buzzing commerce that once defined it. Now, the Calaf City Council has decided to bring new life into the historic and emblematic area.

The City Council plans to do so through its new project, which will take some of these old stores and turn them into interactive museums. Called 'Shops of the Plaça Gran, lost treasure', the proposal will showcase how the businesses were before they closed, serving as a new tourist attraction for the town.

The project is already underway, with three shops already being restored and expected to open to the public in February. Seven spaces will be opened to the public in total, including a general store, a haberdashery, a school, a pastry shop, a print shop, a hardware store and a wine cellar.

The Councilor for Trade and Tourism, Montserrat Mases, noted that one of the facts that surprised them the most, when they opened the doors to the old businesses, was that many of the shops had been "left untouched," their interior exactly the same as the day they had closed, some mid-20th century. “The idea is to recover the essence of Calaf inside these stores," she said.