The Palauet Nolla in the town of Meliana near Valencia, Spain, was originally an old farmstead dating back to the 17th century, which underwent in the 19th century a remarkable transformation into a luxurious villa. It was Miguel Nolla, a visionary Catalan businessman, who recognised its potential as a showcase for the exquisite mosaics produced by his groundbreaking mosaic factory.

In 1860, Miguel Nolla established the mosaic factory in Meliana, heralding a new era of ceramic production in the region. Driven by a passion for quality and innovation, Nolla introduced new techniques that revolutionised the ceramic industry. His mosaic tiles, crafted from monochrome tesserae of mass-dyed stoneware, soon gained international acclaim, adorning prestigious residences and public buildings across Spain and beyond, and Nolla’s distinctive tiles becoming emblematic of the region's rich heritage.

The Nolla mosaic factory had little competition, it was the first to manage to produce these tiny stoneware tesserae and achieve exclusivity at the market.

For all these reasons, the history and heritage represented by the Nolla mosaic factory are exceptional. They represent a radical change in ceramic production but had also a profound impact on the industrialisation of the region, the advancement of the social question, and the arts applied to architecture.

Alongside the factory, Miguel Nolla envisioned the Palauet Nolla as a symbol of his success and prosperity. The historical building bore witness to the heyday of the mosaic factory, its walls adorned with ceramic compositions showcasing the high level of Nolla's production. However, with the decline of the mosaic factory and changes in ownership, the Palauet Nolla faced a period of neglect. In 2010, efforts to revive the Palauet Nolla began in earnest, with comprehensive studies undertaken to guide its conservation and restoration. The city council of Meliana with the help of the CIDCeN association and the ARAE Patrimonio architecture team are recovering the legacy, safeguarding this tangible and intangible heritage such as the craft of mosaic maker (mosaiqueros).

During the first half of October, restauration painting walls is being carried out within the European programme “European Heritage Training Course” from European Heritage Volunteers.

The training course will take place at two distinct spaces within Palauet Nolla: the chapel and the central room on the first floor. Both areas exhibit richly detailed decorative schemes that have suffered degradation over time, requiring urgent conservation interventions.

In the chapel, participants will contribute to the recovery of an emblematic space within Palauet Nolla, restoring its original decorative scheme and ensuring its long-term stability. In the central room on the first floor, they will focus on the restoration of a frieze of roses created using the volume stencil technique, addressing accumulated dirt, pigment loss, and structural instability.

The training course will provide participants with comprehensive hands-on experience in the conservation and restoration of 19th-century wall paintings.

On Thursday, October 9, an open day is scheduled where citizens interested in visiting the works, how the restauration works and the discoveries found during these two weeks of work with a team of volunteers from all over the world are invited.

 9 countries united at Palauet Nolla!! 

The training course is taking place from September 28th to October 11th, 2025, and is organised by Centro Investigación y Difusión Cerámica Nolla in cooperation with European Heritage Volunteers and Meliana Municipality.

Address
camino del barranquet, 57, 46133 , Spain