Heritage Routes

A lime kiln (forn de calç) is a round cavity that is built to transform calcareous stones into lime. This transformation is carried out by a lime kiln or calciner, who achieved it by exposing the calcareous stones to very high temperatures for more than 24 hours in these kilns.

After 24-28 hours have passed, the kiln is uncovered and it can be seen how the stones have already turned white, ready to be crushed to obtain lime.

With a cavity that can reach up to 5 or 6 meters in height and up to more than 4 meters in diameter, these constructions used to be

excavated against the margin of a drop and were built in the shape of a jug and with a larger central part. The walls, lined with stone and mud, can withstand many firings without any problem.

The purpose of this transformation was, as we have mentioned before, to obtain lime, which is the traditional paint for our houses, but it was also a perfect construction material for making lime mortars.

In the past we could find more than twenty lime kilns in Antella, but currently there are only two left in a good state of preservation: The “La Cantaora” lime kiln (forn de calç La Cantaora) and the Frígols ravine lime kiln (forn de calç del Barranc de Frígols).