It’s been hot lately so perhaps this is not the best time to start up your kiln and burn limestone. But a group of enthusiasts embarked some years ago on a journey to bring back traditional, environmentally friendly, methods to protect building surfaces using locally extracted products. This is another example of Spain’s commitment to being at the forefront of preserving its heritage. Spain has won more prestigious European awards than any other country, and the projects range from reviving ancient craftsmanship techniques that can provide solutions to current challenges, to using advanced modern technology for conservation purposes. Until 5 September, you can vote for your favorites among 24 exciting conservation and dissemination projects for Europa Nostra’s «People’s Jury Prize».
The Europa Nostra prize, which is supported by the EU, is awarded to projects that, in an excellent but quite different way, safeguard Europe’s common cultural heritage. This is it’s 19th year and no country has more of the awards than Spain.
The winners in 2021 came from a total of 18 countries, and you will find both individuals and large projects among them – from an almost 80-year-old Italian woman who makes the most exquisite lace, to a large-scale project to restore the park at Fredensborg Castle in Denmark. This year, five of the winning projects were from Spain and won awards in the categories of Conservation, Research, Dedicated service and Education, training and awareness-raising.
Old craftsmanship for new generations
What do you think of as a typical Spanish building style? Chances are you will think of whitewashed houses as part of the landscape you envision. Mortar of limestone is made by heating limestone to very high temperatures (800-1200 degrees C). The product (calcium oxide) is pulverized and then dissolved in water until ready for use as a surface treatment.
Spain has large deposits of limestone, which through the ages have been used especially as building blocks and for mortar, plaster and paint. But traditional manufacturing methods for this environmentally friendly and locally available surface treatment were long forgotten. In 2002, a group of enthusiasts in the small Andalusian town of Morón de la Frontera took the initiative to organize a group that would take care of traditional local lime kilns.
At that time, lime kilns were shut down and abandoned in large parts of Spain – more industrial and centralized manufacturing methods and alternative products were taking over.
In the almost 20 years since the idea of conservation was conceived, volunteers in the area have not only restored local production and knowledge – a lime museum has opened its doors and has become a highly vibrant information center. Here, architects and other construction expertise are trained, but also ordinary people can gain insight into lime production and the lime’s many uses and excellent properties.
Burnt lime is mixed with sand and water to make mortar which, when applied, undergoes a chemical reaction with building blocks causes it to return to hard limestone. By the way, mold and bacteria do not like whitewashed surfaces – perhaps something to think about for houses with moisture problems?
By the way, whitewashed houses and walls do not have to be white, in the courses at the lime museum participants will also learn how to add pigments to achieve timeless, beautiful colors. A three-day course where participants can try their hand at practical work is offered for 160 euros, if you are tempted to make the trip to the small town located about 60 km southeast of Seville. You can read more about the project here: www.museocaldemoron.com.
The People’s Jury: Vote for your favorites
But the last of the Europa Nostra Prizes for 2021 has not yet been awarded. Until 5 September 2021, you can help decide which of the 24 prize winners will be awarded the People’s Jury Prize for this year’s best European conservation project. You can find a presentation of the candidates and can vote here: https://vote.europanostra.org/.
You must vote on three projects, but only one from each country. You give three points to your favorite project, two to what you think is the second-best and one point to your third and final candidate. Following your vote on Europa Nostra’s website, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your vote. On 23 September, the winner of this year’s People’s Jury Prize will be announced. Do you have a Spanish favorite for this prize?
Find Your Spain!
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