A journey through the history of papermaking in Spain
Gummed paper tape has been our product for almost 70 years; perhaps this is why, for a long time now, paper stopped being just a raw material for us. At Ibergum Eco, time has built a connection of respect and deep appreciation for the world of paper, from its beginnings to today, in all its diverse breadth. And we love researching its long history and visiting places that tell us about other moments of paper.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe's commercial expansion across the world made paper a necessity, and paper factories and paper mills, many of which operated with hydraulic energy, sprung up all over the continent. The raw material—linen rags, cotton, old paper, etc.—was processed to achieve a fibre pulp. This pulp was mixed with water: the master papermakers collected thin layers of fibre using a metallic screen mold, which were then pressed, dried, and sized to obtain the smooth finish of the paper.
These artisanal methods were gradually replaced by increasingly efficient and advanced methods, but there are still places in Spain and Europe where the history of paper can be felt, and some different museums, mills, and historical interpretation centres where the old process is recreated.
We have focused on some emblematic places in Spain that show the traces of the vigour of the paper industry in past moments of our history, as well as historical mills converted into museums or interpretation centres in Spain.
The First Paper Factory in Europe was in Xátiva
The first paper mill in Europe was installed in Xátiva, and this Valencian city was the gateway from which paper began to spread throughout the continent. In the year 1154, Al-Idrisi, the Arab historian and geographer, wrote: "a beautiful village with castles" "where paper is manufactured as is found nowhere else in the world. It is shipped to the East and West." It is known that, in 1174, this first paper factory had about thirty workers. Xátiva supplied its famous 'papel xativí' to the entire Crown of Aragon, and from the 12th to the 19th century, Valencian paper was sent throughout Europe, all of North Africa, and the most important cities of the Mediterranean. And, although with etymological debate, it is said that the influence of Xátiva's paper in Europe was such that the English term for paper, 'paper', could derive from the Valencian word 'paper'.
In Xátiva, remains of two 19th-century paper mills and a paper factory, the popular San Jorge factory, still exist.
Historical Paper Mills of Matarraña (Teruel)
The Matarraña region, in Teruel, preserves the industrial heritage of its old paper factories which, from the 18th century to the mid-19th century, and following the course of the Matarraña River, consolidated themselves as the economic and cultural engine of the region, forming the largest concentration of paper factories in Spain. They produced high-quality paper that was used by great artists such as Goya or playing card companies like Fournier.
After a careful process that involved hydraulic wheels and pounding hammers, the rags were converted into laid paper, letter and envelope paper, blotting paper, and excellent banknote paper. Their exports also reached South America. Today, the old paper factories have been converted into cultural spaces and rural accommodation. Technological changes closed the factories, but their legacy remains alive and very evident in the architecture and the collective memory of their inhabitants.
Capellades Paper Mill Museum (Barcelona)
The Capellades Paper Mill Museum (Museu-Molí Paperer de Capellades) preserves the structure of the 18th-century paper mills and utilizes an aquifer that was once used by up to 16 paper mills in the area. They constituted one of the most important papermaking centers in Spain, specializing in high-quality paper with a feathered edge and rolling papers, which they supplied to a large part of the Spanish market, South America, and the Philippines. It was founded in 1958 by a group of paper industrialists who carried out industrial archaeology work and managed to gather machinery and other historical objects.
In this last operating mill, visitors can learn about the entire paper manufacturing process, from when the rags entered until they came out transformed into finished paper. Workshops for making paper are also held here.
Through paper, we can trace how ideas, art, science, and culture, human evolution, and thought are born. And the history of paper in Spain tells us about constant beginnings and developments. From the first paper manufacture on European soil to the consolidation of important paper-making centers with worldwide influence, a whole interesting legacy has been unfolding over the centuries.
