It was here, at Coll del BUC, that Manuel Antonio Gomes, known as FATHER HIMALAYA, a Portuguese scientist, became one of the pioneers of solar energy. He built a concentrating solar furnace, five meters in diameter. It consisted of 260 truncated conical mirrors of polished metal fixed to a structure that could be oriented towards the sun. The sun's rays, focused on the center of the crucible, allowed it to reach an estimated temperature of 900 °C. During the summer of 1900, the scientists' assistants, helped by people from Sureda, brought more than four tons of equipment here on the backs of men and mules. The trace of the circular track on which the machine pivoted can be seen, along with the remains of the platform and the dry stone enclosure.
