MONUMENTS

Alfar

A building that shows the purest popular La Mancha tradition. It was used as a pottery workshop until the mid-70s, as the result of the long experience of pottery in the area. Consuegra had up to five pottery workshops. This is a monument of a different nature, representing the history of the humblest and the popular classes of Consuegra.

Through its architecture, we can get into the ways of life of past times. It has a large courtyard in which we highlight two potter kilns of different types, one roman and another Arab. It is in these underground kilns, where the pieces of clay were introduced in order to firing them, making them hard and obtaining the finished product for sale. In addition to the potters' kilns, the patio has other decorative elements such as columns, bases or stelae with inscriptions (you can see a via Crucis in good condition). It has old farming tools and a small exhibition of handicrafts.

We must add the taste that the building gives us. Also what el Alfar tells us about the world of crafts, houses, materials and food of La Mancha. 

The colours that predominate are white and indigo blue. These colours are associated with this area and with an important Mediterranean tradition (this type of decoration is also found in Greece, Tunisia, Morocco), as the old houses and buildings were made of rammed earth so it was necessary whitewashed them, not only for cosmetic reasons but also for hygiene (the lime is a disinfectant) along with the thick rammed walls together with the lime to protect the interior of the constructions from the inclemency of the Sun. Due to the rains, the skirting boards and door and window jambs used to be covered with dust and mud, so they opted for blue to avoid dirt and to leave the facades clean.

It is located near the exit, neighbouring the town of Madridejos, in an easily accessible area by which you can see a different Consuegra. The names of the surrounding streets remind us of the existence of the Roman circus that was in the neighbourhood.