Secastilla

Secastilla is a remote village in the Ribagorza region. The best approach is probably from the main road between Graus and Barbastro (N-123a). About 6 km from Graus you'll find a branch where Secastilla is signposted (8 km, HU-V-6432). Keep following the signs for Secastilla and after nearly 5 km you'll reach the exhibition with the machinery of an oil mill.

Pictures: 01.viii.2021

(1) Open air exhibition of discarded oil mill equipment.

(2) Grinder with one edge stone and heating system (3).

(3) In- and outlet tubes of the heating system.

(5) Oil vessels embossed with
F(ábrica). A(ceitera). Secastilla

(6) Hydraulic pump from the Baró company.

We know that the hydraulic press was installed in the 1920s †. Therefore the Francisco Baró written on the pump (8) must be F.B. Ginesta who had founded the Talleres de Baró company in 1890 — for a bit more about the company see our page about the open air exhibition in Castillazuelo.

Pumps in the Perfecta range (6) counted 2, 3 like here, or 4 cylinders. A pump with two cylinders can be seen in Buera, and Castillazuelo. A very fine specimen with 3 cylinders — and the glass oil dispensers still present! — is preserved in the oil mill of Benabarre. At the time of writing we have never seen the model with 4 cylinders in our study area.

There was also a Suprema range equiped with 6 gears.

(7-8) The Perfecta: a pump with 3 cylinders and 2 gears meant for the hydraulic press (9).

(9) Hydraulic press with trolley.

(10) Manufacturer's name on the head of the press.

According to an old catalog of the company, this press with a square base plate would exert a pressure of 600 atmospheres. The same model of press can be seen in Benabarre.

The model with a round base plate that we found in Angüés, according to the same catalogue, could reach 500 atm.

† José Miguel Pesqué Lecina — 2009 — Secastilla: recuerdos y vivencias.
Diputación Provincial de Huesca. I.S.B.N.: 978-84-92749-02-7. 223pp.