Las Caleras

Las Caleras

A group of three lime kilns situated just a few metres apart, which were built alongside the Old Road from Priego to Rute (GR-7), some 950 m north-east of Fu...
Lime has been one of the best-known products since ancient times. In the past, it was mainly used in construction, mixed with sand to make mortar and, above all, for whitewashing and plastering the walls of houses, both inside and out. Many villages in Andalusia retain that striking white colour thanks to the use of lime. In agriculture, it was used to fertilise the soil and treat fruit trees. It was also used to disinfect stables and had various applications in the construction of farmhouses. Since ancient times, the limestone of the Sierras Subbéticas has enabled its inhabitants to produce lime using traditional methods. This product was obtained by burning the stone in a lime kiln, a rustic structure consisting of a circular pit lined with stone walls and plastered on the inside. A dome of medium-sized stones was placed on top of the firewood, which had to burn for several days for the process to be completed successfully. Firing the stone at a temperature of around 900–1000º triggers a chemical reaction that removes carbon dioxide from the limestone and transforms it into calcium oxide, commonly known as ‘quicklime’.