The Olesan Dry Stone Hut

A unique and historically valuable landmark is the best way to describe the Olesan dry stone hut. The only one of its kind, this structure forms part of the municipality’s tangible rural heritage. It is a characteristic construction of the municipality of Olesa that combines dry stone lateral walls with a gabled ceiling beam framework made out of olive tree trunks, the predominant type of tree in our rural area, and a roof made of flat stones and dirt, often with plants to reinforce the dirt. The trunks are from Palomar olive trees, a variety that is native to Olesa, ideal for making beams due to the strength and resistance of their wood.

Although some of these uniquely Olesan huts have disappeared (mainly due to forest fires or lack of maintenance), it is still possible to find around thirty of them intact, mostly on the agricultural plain of Can Llimona. It is estimated, however, that there are around 200 more that are partly destroyed.

The origin of the uniquely Olesan type of dry stone hut is probably related to the ease of their construction compared to conventional constructions with dome-shaped or corbeled roofs that require much more technical expertise. The uniqueness of these huts has aroused the interest of various university scholars and researchers and has been the topic of numerous publications, articles and presentations.