Palalda
The second interpretation Center was installed in the 13th century castle of Palalda-Amelie-les-Bains, and was inaugurated on 5th June 2009.
C R Mackintosh and his wife arrived in France in 1923 at Amelie-les-Bains in order for Margaret who suffto have treatmenered from asthma. Thus, the couple discovered Roussillon while travelling by train.
A first video follows the life of C R Mackintosh, principally during his studies a Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow; his meeting of the sisters Macdonald of which one, Margaret, became his wife. C R Mackintosh also designed furniture and dishes principally for the Willow Tea Rooms: In 1900 he took part in an exhibition in Vienna and gained international recognition.
You will discover models of buildings, some of which were built, whilst others were kept in their designed state. His chief work, a new building for the Glasgow School of Art, with his principal work, the library (sadly destroyed as a result of 2 recent fires) is one.
He also created patterns on fabric with the creativity for which we know him, the designs of which were taken as an idea by the students of the School of Arts to make an exhibition in Glasgow in 2004. Some are shown in this Center.
From 1913 onwards, as the building orders dried up, he began painting flowers in England and continued on arriving in Amelie-les-Bains. Witness the famous painting: “Mimosa” whose copy is installed on the facade of the former Hotel du Midi where he stayed.
The visit to this center ends with Collioure, which he discovered during the winter of 1923-1924, and it was during this period that he begins a series of almost 40 watercolors that will become famous all over the world.
Just click on the link below to discover the days and hours of opening for our 3 centres.
The village and chateau-museum of Palada
The village of Palalda, today and since 1942, is part of the municipality of Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda and is located 2 kilometers from the spa.
This picturesque village, perched on the heights of the left bank of the Tech, houses at the top the remains of an old medieval castle that has been transformed into a museum.
The village built at several heights still has a certain medieval look today, with its old houses, its charming alleys, its many stairs and squares. At every turn we discover beautiful views of the Tech Valley.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh stayed in Amelie-les-Bains during the winter of 1923/1924.
The name of the village of Palalda appears in history in the IXth century under the term villa Paladdanum in a precept of Louis the Pious dated 833 and defining its territory. The etymology of the name comes from the term Palatium Dani (“Dan’s Palace “).
A castle was built on the site as well as a church, mentioned for the first time in 967, and which would undergo several successive modifications. Between 1254 and 1260, the first known Lord of Palalda, Guillaume-Hugues de Serralongue, Lord of Cabrenç, had the castle fortifications replaced by two imposing signal towers still visible today in the heart of the village.
The Palalda Museum has been renovated as part of the “PĂ´le des mĂ©tiers d’art” project in partnership with the Moulin des Arts d’Arles-¬sur-Tech, with the renovation of the museum space, the room in the old town hall and various premises in the historic centre of the village.
The new museum centre, which has been completely renovated, offers visitors exhibition spaces dedicated to the arts and crafts and to the discovery of the local territory and heritage. Next door, the visit can continue with the craftsmen’s workshops and the shop dedicated to arts and crafts and labelled local products.
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Interpretation Centre in Palada occupies part of the ground floor of the museum space.
The centre is located on the edge of a charming square overlooking the square of the Romanesque church of Saint Martin.
And of course one of the three CRM Mackintosh interpretation centres in Roussillon.
