Seeing the time that some great works take to be executed, such as the Sagrada Familia or the Sagrera station in Barcelona, the feat that was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century in the Vall Fosca (Pallars Jussà) is astonishing. In this beautiful valley, one of the highest in the Pyrenees, the first large power plant in Catalonia was built in 1911 in just 27 months.
But not only that: in just 90 days, 3,000 men with picks and shovels also managed to cement the 30 kilometers of the new road that would connect it with La Pobla de Segur. The Capdella hydroelectric plant turned out to be an epic feat of engineering that forever changed the destiny of this valley.
In 1911, the Vall Fosca was a fairly isolated territory, where the winters were harsh and long. Poorly communicated with other valleys (only through bridle paths), the area was agricultural and livestock, and the 1,400 inhabitants it housed at that time were spread across 19 towns and 300 houses. The Vall Fosca was - and is - a true water paradise and the perfect place to locate a large hydroelectric plant. The Flamisell River, its backbone, drinks from countless rivers and is fed by 28 lakes that have a reserve of 50 million cubic meters.
During the 19th century, Catalan industry used enormous quantities of coal to keep its factories operational. From 1841 to 1900 alone, Catalonia burned more than 17 billion tons of coal, which came mainly from Wales. This energy dependence on abroad worried many politicians and businessmen, until they found a solution: betting on hydraulic energy.
In order to generate electricity, it was not enough to have abundant water, which there was. Different engineering works had to be carried out that were very advanced for the time and they did it in record time. The more than 4,000 workers who participated in them came from different parts of Spain, Andorra, Italy, Portugal and even Turkey, and they had to work in very harsh conditions, both due to the difficulty of the terrain and the hostility of the cold Pyrenean climate.
After establishing the road connection with La Pobla, the actions moved to the high mountains. Of the 28 existing lakes, 15 of them were connected with underground tunnels. Later, they built a canal that linked the largest lake, Estany Gento, with a new large water chamber. The water was stored there (it still works like this today) and through large pipes they sent it down to the new hydroelectric plant, where four production groups generated the electricity that was then distributed throughout the country.
Three years after starting the works, in 1914, the Capdella power plant came into operation and contributed an amount of energy to the network that had never been seen before, which led, in part, to a resurgence of Catalan industry. Such was the electrical dependence of this plant in its beginnings that, when a breakdown occurred in Capdella, the city of Barcelona suffered blackouts. In 1917, the fifth generator was commissioned, which allowed production to be expanded to 25,000 kilowatts/hour, well below the 40,000 that had been planned and as many as the plant currently generates.
Once the works were completed, about forty families stayed to live in the town of Central de Capdella, which became one of the most modern towns in the country. The plant brought luxuries that the local population was unaware of: theater, festivals, tennis courts...
If the construction of the Torre de Capdella power plant was carried out, it is due to an anonymous person beyond the region: Emili Riu i Periquet. This character from Sort, coming from a humble family, first studied at the Seu d'Urgell and in 1889 he moved to Barcelona to continue his training and become a commercial expert. To earn money, he did any job, from barber to journalist. Precisely as a journalist he worked, in Madrid, at Heraldo and El Globo, where he was able to rise socially and economically. He liked to walk around his native land, where water was plentiful, but where there was no progress.
After unsuccessfully trying to convince two Spanish banks (Arnús and Marsans) to invest in building the power plant, he managed to get a French company and a Swiss company to contribute eight million pesetas to the project. This is how on November 18, 1911, the company Energía Eléctrica de Cataluña, S.A. was established in Barcelona. (EEC), concessionaire for the Capdella works. Much to his chagrin, there were many residents of the region who believed that “the waters had been sold to foreigners,” and he died without the recognition he deserved, which is currently given to him in the Capdella Hydroelectric Museum.
The museum is open only on weekends during the fall and winter. Between July 1 and September 24, however, it is open seven days a week, although not all of them offer a guided tour. The space, although small, is very well museumd, and a video helps to understand the history of this plant. However, it is highly recommended to take one of the guided tours to learn the details of this feat that was carried out more than a century ago.
La Vall Fosca, in addition to having this curious museum, is a first-rate nature destination. Located north of the Pallars Jussà region, it offers a wide variety of hiking routes for all types of audiences. The valley is dotted with picturesque towns such as Espui, Estavill or Beranui, to name a few, which are worth a visit.
The highlight is the Estany Gento cable car, which allows you to cover a 450-meter drop in 14 minutes and ascend to 2,200 meters, right at the gates of the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici national park. Please note that the cable car is only operational in summer (from July 1 to September 30) and it is advisable to check the timetables before purchasing tickets.
After driving so many kilometers by car and taking beautiful excursions on foot through the valleys of the area, it is time to regain strength. Luckily, in the Vall Fosca there is a good gastronomic offer and delicious local products. In Pobleta de Bellveí, for example, we can eat abundant homemade food in the restaurants of Cal Arturo or in the Era del Marxant, and enjoy delicious paellas in the small and authentic Bar Felip. We cannot return home without having tried the typical girella pallaresa (clean lamb tripe cut and stuffed with seasoned rice), quince aioli or sausages made with pork such as xolis and secallona.
