Aims

The Project TRANSLANA is divided into two stages. The first one occurred between 2003 and 2005, having been made the foreseen actions:

• Research on the Wool Route with the aim of defining and characterising this Route and the Transhumance paths and clarifying its patrimonial, economical, social and cultural significance at the peninsular level, particularly in the Spanish Extremadura and at the polarised region of Serra da Estrela whose updated knowledge and systematic survey were not carried out yet.  
• The recognition of the strong cross-border relations that were established in the transhumance domain, the wool trade and its transformation between the regions involved in this Project, studying this route significance and its inclusion in other European routes. Since the studies referring to the inventory of the transhumance paths are more advanced in Spain than in Portugal, the cross of this scientific information and the sharing of experiences will help to deepen this theme in the peninsular context.
• The preservation both of the movable and immovable archaelogical / industrial field evidences; the valorisation of the Livestock Paths as a common patrimonial good, focusing on its cultural and economical significance; to promote the cultural tourism in the intervention areas of the project; to publish new works about the Wool Route and the Transhumance; to increase the scientific and cultural exchange among the researchers in the museologic, museographic and historic areas at the Iberian level, as well as to develop the exchange of experiences and establish information networks in cross-border spaces, aiming to clarify the peninsular Wool Route.  
• Musealisation project of the Royal Veiga Factory nucleus of the Wool Museum of the University of Beira Interior, as a Wool Industrialisation Nucleus and Serra da Estrela Wool Ecomuseum Interpretation Centre, aiming to represent the wool industrialisation process, its historical significance at a peninsular level and the contribution of the region of Serra da Estrela to its development.
• Recovery of the Lavadero de Lanas do Museo Vostell de Malpartida de Cáceres and the physical and support structures of the Livestock Paths Interpretation Centre operating therein.

Regarding the project second stage, between 2005 and 2008, the following actions are foreseen:

• The Publication, in several storage media,  of the research results made in the first stage of this project;
• Conclusion of the museological and museographic projects and the assemblage of Permanent Exhibition of the Royal Veiga Factory Nucleus of the Wool Museum, according to the following aims: the inclusion in the new Exhibition of the research on the wool peninsular route and the presentation of the several stages of the wool industrial production, namely the preparing, spinning, weaving and finishing sections, focusing on the technological evolution and identifying the technological transferences carried out.
• The safeguarding of textile machines set, considered to be an industrial patrimony as well as diversified remains, aiming to create thematic temporary exhibitions and as a contribution for the preservation of the most important species of a movable industrial patrimony.
• Conclusion of the wool musealisation process by including in the different Wool Museum nuclei, its several productive cycles, since the stage of the craft workshops to the manufacturing and industrial stage.
• Inclusion of an area for information presentation about wool and its significance in the Mediterranean and European culture in the Permanent Exhibition of the Wool Museum  of the University of Beira Interior and Museo Vostell-Malpartida de Cáceres;
• Recovery and amplification in the Museo Vostell-Malpartida de Cáceres. , of an important space of patrimonial, scientific and historic value, named Boilers Room and the reconstruction of the water pipe system and the Washing Room, an important structure in the Wool Route and Transhumance process which marked the history of the cross-border space that comprises the intervention area of this project

This project has been important for the musealisation of Royal Veiga Factory nucleus, which spaces will be the Wool Industrialisation Nucleus and the Serra da Estrela Wool Ecomuseum Interpretation Centre. Both will aim the representation of the industrialisation process, its historic significance at a peninsular level and the contribution of Covilhã to this industry development. The conclusion of the museologic and museographic projects and the assemblage of the Permanent Exhibition of this nucleus will aim the inclusion in Permanent Exhibition of documental data from the research on the wool peninsular route and the presentation of the different stages of the wool industrial production, showing the several preparing, spinning, weaving and finishing sections and its evolution and the technological transference.

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