History of the Museum of Commerce and Industry of Salamanca

The Museum of Commerce and Industry was born thanks to the confluence of efforts made by citizens, merchants, and public institutions of the city.

It can be said that its most direct precedents were the exhibitions held by the Official Chamber of Commerce in the mid-nineties, a time when the idea of creating a museum focused on the history of local commerce and industry began to take shape.

Attending to the hygienist ideas prevailing from the 19th century onwards, in 1875, the Salamanca City Council approved the construction of the first water supply system for the city. The project incorporated all the necessary infrastructure to raise water from the river and distribute it. The water was collected from the Tormes river as it passed through Aldehuela and was raised with a steam engine to the deposits located on the San Mamés hill. This first cistern was underground and had a capacity of 1,800 m³. Once the water had settled and been treated with chlorine, it was carried to the city center through pipes about 20 centimeters in diameter. That first cistern is today the container of the Museum of Commerce and Industry of Salamanca.

The first supply system was in service until it was decided to build a new, more extensive network capable of meeting the needs of a growing population. The new reservoir was an important, honest, and elevated engineering work built on the same ground as the previous one. The reinforced concrete cistern and its respective sewerage network were designed by the architect Santiago Madrigal (1878-1932). The structure measured 27.50 m in height. It had a capacity of 4,020 m³ and the water was distributed between two compartments connected by a system of gates. The elevated water reservoir of El Rollo was in operation for much of the 20th century. In 2002, already disused, it was demolished by municipal decision.

Promoted by the Most Excellent City Council of Salamanca and the Official Chamber of Commerce, the museum center opened its doors in early 2006 with the mission of researching, conserving, and disseminating relevant aspects of Salamancan industry and commerce. The Museum of Commerce is part of the Tourism, Commerce, and Economic Promotion Society of Salamanca, S.A.U., on which it depends legally and administratively and has signed collaboration agreements with Salamancan entities for the better achievement of its objectives.