Example of a ceiling in Pampaneira

This picture is from the underside of a roof in Pampaneira. It is from the bottom of a room which crosses a street. It gives an interesting view of the construction techniques used in the Alpujarra region. Wooden beams generally made out of chestnut provide the main structural support. Large flat stones made of a substance similar to slate are laid over the beams to form a floor or a ceiling. You will notice that most of the rooves in the Alpujarra are flat. This is because the original inhabitantes of the Alpujarras discovered the perfect solution to building houses with easilly available materials. There is an abundance of chestnut trees, flat stones and "launa" (a waterproof grayish magnesian clay) which is used on the flat rooves to prevent water entering. The example in the photo is a particularly well looked after example. It has been whitewashed with "cal" (Calcium hydroxide traditionally called slaked lime) Which is the traditional way of painting surfaces white. I have been told that most villages in the Alpujarra have local bye-laws which make it obligatory for the residents to paint their house white with "cal". The reason is that many people would keep donkeys and other animals inside the first floor of their houses and the "cal" acts as a fungicide, biocide and is unattractive to insects.