Real Fábrica do Gelo

Fabrica cõ suas Pertesas c'oprou e reedificou Julião Prª de Castro Capitão de Malta Reposteiro e Neveiro da Casa Real no ultimo de Janeiro de 1782

According to an inscription once found in the main storage building, The Real Fábrica do Gelo was rebuilt by Julião de Castro in 1782. An earlier 1740's ice production facility had stood at the site close to the top of the Serra de Montejunto (666 m). The factory produced ice to be sold in Lisbon to the royal court as well as the general public during the summer months.

Julião de Castro had already been responsible for ice storage and production further north (Serra da Lousã) and owned one of the first establishments in Lisbon to sell ice, “Casa da Neve”, now know as Martinho da Arcada. The factory depended mostly on climacteric conditions and local resources such as water, requiring little animal power and some human labor. The ice would be transported from the factory by ox carts and boat. Ice production at the site was abandoned in the 19th century.

























1. Freezing tanks: 44 tanks of low-depth were laid out sequentially such that water would flow from one to the next. The tanks were used, weather permitting, to produce ice from October to May.
2. Water elevation and distribution area: An animal powered water wheel was used to get water from a well into an elevated tank. The water could then flow to the freezing tanks during the Fall and Winter months.
3. Ice storage wells and expedition area: Once the water froze in the tanks, ice blocks would be cut and transported to these reservoirs. The ice would be well compacted in a large reservoir so as to stay frozen for long periods of time. The building also contained a working area for preparing the ice for expedition which likely involved packing the ice blocks in wooden boxes and wrapping these in hay. The prepared goods could be kept in another small reservoir before being transported in carts to the Tagus river to be sold in Lisbon.
4. Lime kiln: wood powered kiln (oven) used to build the factory and housing. The limestone was also likely used to disinfect the water to be frozen in the tanks.