Built in 1909 these hydroelectric turbines are old and beautiful - embodying all the charm and character that was incorporated into the design of industrial equipment from that period. Some signs of restoration are visible, so it looks like the future of this glimpse of the past is secure.
The building consists of a single turbine hall, unassuming from the outside straddling an Italian river. The Brown Boveri turbines themselves really are something special, employing a vertical design to allow them to be driven by hydro power. The power plant forms part of a larger complex that has a cotton mill at its heart. The town which the power plant once supplied was built to house the workers of the mill, and the power plant supplied free electricity for them.
The turbines really were an amazing sight, and certainly one of my favourite places to have visited.
1. Turbine Hall
2. Turbines and Control Panel
3. The turbines
4. Gauges on the control desk
5. Control panels
6 & 7. Turbine details
8. Turbines viewed from ground level
9. Wheels and equipment around the turbines
The building consists of a single turbine hall, unassuming from the outside straddling an Italian river. The Brown Boveri turbines themselves really are something special, employing a vertical design to allow them to be driven by hydro power. The power plant forms part of a larger complex that has a cotton mill at its heart. The town which the power plant once supplied was built to house the workers of the mill, and the power plant supplied free electricity for them.
The turbines really were an amazing sight, and certainly one of my favourite places to have visited.
2. Turbines and Control Panel
3. The turbines
4. Gauges on the control desk
5. Control panels
6 & 7. Turbine details
8. Turbines viewed from ground level
9. Wheels and equipment around the turbines
