Cal Riera

The colony of Cal Riera, also known as colony Manent, is part of the municipality of Puig-Reig and is located, near the river Llobregat, between Cal Vidal and L’Ametlla de Merola.

The origins of Cal Riera are common to many other colonies of Catalonia located along the river Llobregat, Ter and Cardener: some industrial entrepreneurs who bought an old flour mill and the land around them, to set up a textile factory that use the river as a source of energy.

The plant began operating in 1895 and 1905 we find documented the existence of homes for the workers and the presence of the Home of the owner. The colony also has other services, equipment and buildings that characterize the model of industrial colony: shop, cafe, church or school, etc. but Cal Riera was always a colony of modest size, especially compared to Cal Rosal or Ametlla de Merola.

In the years after the Civil War of 1936-1939 is remarkable that Cal Riera became, especially during the fifties and sixties years, one of the colonies with more workers coming from different parts of Spain, especially Andalusia, Extremadura Murcia and Castilla.

Cal Riera closed doors during the seventies. With the closure of the factory, the services of the colony stops working and most workers moved to other places, especially to Navàs (Bages).

Town: Puig-reig
Post code: 08692