The ceramic furnace of Montoro is one of those ethnographic enclaves worth seeing. Here, one of them is preserved thanks to the fact that it was acquired by María del Carmen Olague and her husband José Luis Lagares, whose objective was to preserve it and prevent its deterioration.
The most representative of this pottery were the pottery pieces, although some chantery was also made. In general, they always made them using the lathe and also produced other materials such as bricks and tiles. The end of this furnace occurred around 1915, when production was stopped. The last potters documented in Montoro were Miguel Moliner, his son Isidro Moliner and Miguel Navarro, who worked at the same time as the previous ones, although with less continuity. There are still memories of workshops in both the Barrio Alto and the Calle Baja.
The fig tree that had grown inside the oven and threatened to destroy its walls has recently been cut down, so that its structure can be seen. In front of it, what today is the rural house “El Obrador” keeps the memory of where the old workshop used to be.
More information about this workshop and others in Maestrazgo: Virtual Museum Maestrazgo
