Old Alum Factory

Alum is an alumina and potassium sulfide to set dyes on fabrics in the XVI century.

This product was used for industrial, house and medical applications. The production of alum goes back to the late part of XV century, after Henry IV granted privilege of mining rights to the Marquisites of Villena and Vélez.

The alum from Mazarrón was on the rise until 1592, when mines where closed due to the lack of exports to European countries.

From 1774, the activity was oriented to alum waste treatment, called ‘almagras’, used for tobacco treatment purposes. Some of the remains of this activity can be found today in Mazarrón.

The commonly referred to as ‘alum’ (alum stone, a white-colored product) was used as disinfectant in barber shops after shavings.

The old factory still preserves some rooms, as well as some of the pools and decantation basins, stone drying areas, the base of a waterwheel and ovens for minerals. It is the oldest of all factories in Mazarrón, but there are other two with similar activities.

The red coloring of the sediments (‘almagra’ o ‘almazarrón’ in some places) is the trademark of these factories, and it is also present in all surrounding landscapes with a singular color, emblematic and unique from Mazarrón.