Interpretation Centres

Three Interpretation Centres have been established along the trail and in three episodes tell the story of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald and of heir final years spent painting and discovering Roussillon and their discovery of the culture and heritage of the Pyrénées
Orientales.

At Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda, the Mackintosh Interpretation Centre is part of the museum complex in the château of Palalda..

Palalda

A combination of video clips, exhibits, paintings and period photographs accompanied by a recorded commentary in several languages on portable handsets tells the story of the Mackintosh's life and career in the UK and of their arrival in Roussillon.

The Palalda museum incorporates the the old church of Saint Martin. Consecrated in 933 it was the castle chapel. Its magnificent reredos traces the life of St Martin "carved and gilded wood - wood that is not carved but not carved but cut showing an cut showing every mark of the tool, not gilded but clothed in gold leaf (thick) – the first brought back from America to Spain. Very rococo but very beautiful." [C.R.M]

The exhibition includes reproductions of architectural drawings, paintings, models, stained glass, ironwork, textiles, videos and period photographs.

Palalda opening times

Closed mid December to mid February and on Sundays
Rest of the year open daily but times variableaccording to the season
Check with the Office du Tourisme in Amélie les Bains on 04 68 39 01 98
or at www.amelie-les-bains.com

Port Vendres

The exhibition in Port Vendres is the second episode of the story and tells of the Mackintoshes on the coast – their first summer in Collioure and the winters of 1925 and 1926 in Port Vendres.

The centre is in the garden of the Dôme and includes archival videos from the 1920’s, supplemented by still photographs from the period and a display of reproductions of the watercolours which Mackintosh created.

Port Vendres opening times

15th FEVRIER - 15th AVRIL : Fridays from 15h to 17h 
16th AVRIL - 31 MAY : Tuesdays and Fridays from 15h to 17h
JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER : Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 16h to 18h 
1st OCTOBER to 15th NOVEMBER : Fridays from 15h to 17h
16th NOVEMBER - 14th FEBRUARY : Closed .

Villefranche de Conflent - Fort Liberia

The third and final centre is in the officers quarters of the UNESCO world heritage site at Fort Liberia at Villefranche de Conflent. Due to buraucratic delays in the funding , the official opening of the exhibition which is the thrird and final episode in the series has been delayed.

During the winter it can be visited on request to the custodian but it will open officially in the Spring (2012). It is the biggest of the three exhibitions.

Part 1 is a film of his life before his arrival in France.

Part 2 is about design with examples of furniture, textiles, glass, ironwork and some of Mackintosh's unbuilt designs.

Part 3 tells of the winter of 1924 spent at Ille-sur-Tet and of their subsequent discovery of the Upper Têt valley and the area around Mont Louis in the summers of 1925, 1926 and 1927.

The final section is about influences on Mackintosh and Mackintosh's influences on others.

You can find more information about Fort Liberia at www.fort-liberia.com