Alpera Snowwell — A 17th-Century Ice Pit and Its Frozen Legacy
A 12-minute walk from central Alpera stands a remarkable relic of pre-industrial ingenuity: a grand snowwell where natural ice was harvested and stored to chill kitchens and markets across the region.
What Were Snowwells?
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, communities built snowwells—deep underground chambers—to collect winter snow and ice for summer use, creating Europe’s earliest refrigeration systems.
Why Alpera’s Snowwell Stands Out
This well is among Spain’s largest and best preserved: a 12-sided stone base 60 m in circumference supports a soaring vaulted dome. Beneath, a 20 m-diameter shaft plunges 20 m deep, once packed with ice.
Ice Production and Storage
Adjacent water channels flooded shallow pools that froze overnight. Ice blocks were cut, layered between straw, and lowered into the well. The dark, insulated interior kept the ice intact through scorching summers.
Nearby Historic Remnants
Other smaller wells dot the landscape, testifying to a once-widespread winter-ice network vital for food preservation.
A Chilling Visit
Descend into the cool shadow of the dome, listen to the stone walls echo centuries, and imagine the toil of winter nights spent harvesting and packing ice.
Experience the frozen ingenuity of yesterday: the Alpera snowwell remains a silent testament to mankind’s age-old quest to tame heat with winter’s gift.
How to get there
Decimal: 38.959167°, -1.220278°
DMS: 38°57'33" N, 1°13'13" O
