Museu del Batre
REAPING AND THRESHING
Threshing is the agricultural operation consisting of separating the edible parts of the wheat grain from the husk covering it. Reaping began at the start of June: fi rst barley, then wheat and fi nally oats, which were bundled together to make sheaves, which were then taken to the threshing fl oor for threshing. Once on the threshing fl oor, the cereal was placed in the threshing machine, which separated the wheat from the chaff. This work lasted for at least a month, around the time of the festival of Saint James (25 July).
OUR THRESHING MACHINE
This wooden machine, made in Germany and bought in Barcelona, travelled to Vilafranca in a train wagon in 1932. It was later moved to Les Gunyoles with the help of mules(1). It was bought with the help of almost the entire village, aided by the profi ts made by the cooperative shop. The machine is currently owned by the ‘La Torre de Les Gunyoles’ Society. The “Festa del Batre”, or “Threshing Festival”, is held periodically at the end of June or beginning of July, and includes a live demonstration of how the threshing machine works.
(1) Mule: A cross between a horse and a donkey. Text: Les Gunyoles historical research group
