In 1860, a factory appears in the huerta of Meliana (Valencia, Spain), whose impact will be essential at all levels. The Nolla mosaic factory produced a high quality ceramic for the realization of luxurious decorative compositions used as flooring, baseboards, or for making elements of ornament of facades. Since 2010, our NGO "Centro de Investigación y Difusión de la cerámica Nolla (CIDCeN)" and "ARAE Patrimonio y Restauración" and are carrying a complete research around the factory, mosaic, but also the Palauet Nolla, an emblematic as unknown, symbol of this exceptional industry.

The main parts of the work carried out, explores all the aspects of this heritage: industrial, architectural, artistic, intangible, historical and social. The objectives of this work are numerous: know the technical manufacture of the product, its history, its diffusion, the impact of this industry on the economic and social industry as well as in-depth knowledge of the factory showroom: the Palauet Nolla. The results of these studies allow us the restoration of the building, as well as broadcast and recognition of this valuable legacy. The quality of the research and broadcast carried out on the Palauet Nolla has been rewarded by the prestigious award "European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europe Nostra Awards 2012". Nolla ceramics/mosaic is a heritage which is very difficult to classify, because its value is a pluralidentity. In addition the geographic scope of this material is worldwide, because these mosaics has been placed on all continents. The most remarkable and representative industry Nolla´s craft is mosaiquero, operator specializing in the placement of the tiles that made up the infinity of possible compositions. The perfection with which they placed mosaics, without any joint, makes that today is extremely difficult its restoration by non-specialist operators. Unfortunately, the craft was lost with the closure of the factory, and nowadays the number of ancient mosaiqueros is low.

The craft disappearance of the mosaiquero craft represents a serious obstacle to the conservation of the examples that are still preserved, as the Palauet Nolla. Similar cases we find throughout Europe, in historic buildings with this singular pavement, well because they are disappearing elements linked to old crafts, the savoir-faire. The studies and the activities planned for this year provide information on the recovery of this one and other traditional crafts, for the european experts and to the social community.