Our place to spend the night is right in the town of La Granja. There is a lot to see there, so that same evening we went to the San Lldefonso Royal Palace to see the royal gardens, one of the most important in Europe for the complexity of its hydraulic system and the water features of its fountains, as well as its lead and marble sculptures.
The style of the gardens is the most important in Europe, especially the complexity of the hydraulic system and water features, its springs and its lead and marble sculptures.
Overall, this is all complete, without any changes or losses in the first half of the 18th century.
There are a total of 29 such fountains in the entire palace garden.
This giant sequoia is about 144 years old. It can grow up to 90 metres high and is incredibly beautiful 🙂
On day 2, we visited the Glass, Crystal and Technology Museum, located in the old royal glass factory in la Grania, one of the most important European industrial buildings of the 18th century and a true landmark of La Granja and its entire history. The main objective at that time was to supply royal residences and palaces with luxury goods. The area here provided all the ingredients needed to make glass. Fuel for the furnaces, the raw materials, enough space and sufficient water. Much later, glass was also produced for the “normal burgher” so that everyone could afford it.
In 1844, the manufactory not only produced magnificent mirrors of unprecedented size, but also all kinds of luxury items such as table and decorative objects, apothecary and optical items and marvellous chandeliers, all without royal support. But then the factory closed its doors, remaining in royal ownership but being rented out to private individuals. It was not until 1972 that the last tenant left the building. Ten years later, the National Glass Centre Fund was founded, which renovated the building and turned it into a museum and school.
The furnace under the 80 metre high dome is a replica. The glass was melted in it at 1400° C. These green stones are, so to speak, the remnants that have accumulated in the coal. Glass never loses its quality and durability and has an infinite lifespan. These remnants are therefore melted down again and again.
There were 30 furnaces in this room. 2 for melting and there were 30 more so-called annealing furnaces in which the temperature was slowly reduced from 500° in order to cool the glass slowly.
Most of the machines are from the 20th century, the ruins of the royal factory.
Only two of these machines with their granite wheels date back to the 19th century. They were used to grind the glass composition of the individual raw materials.
To make it sound more ostentatious, the manufactory was called Kristall Glas Manufaktur. In reality, they only worked with pure glass and not crystal, which was a method of producing large mirrors. At that time, this device was made of lead and not wood.
Over time, they also succeeded in producing flat glass.
The ingredients for glass are quartz sand, ash and soda. Incidentally, glass is naturally green.
Glass for electricity and telephone lines was also produced here.
There are 4500 different moulds dating back to the 20th century. Here even marionettes made of glass.
The manufacture of chandeliers. This chandelier in the picture, for example, has 2000 different pieces of glass.
Production of glass tiles.
Back then, the patterns were elaborately engraved into the glass.
Coloured glass was also produced there.
The printing presses of the time.
The glassblowing workshop, still in operation today.
The museum exhibits 4500 different moulds from the 20th century.
Today’s workshop where the glass is cut, polished and engraved.
Today, there are around 300 exhibits for a wide variety of purposes. Including the modern art of glassblowing by deserving artists from various countries.
A big thank you goes to the young museum employee who took the time for us. As the descriptions are only available in Spanish and English and she realised that we were German, she spontaneously came to us and gave us a short guided tour in German. She really was an exceptionally nice young woman. Thank you very much for that!
