Catalan forge

Smelting of iron oreCatalan hearth or forge used for smelting iron ore until relatively recent times. The method of charging fuel and ore and the approximate position of the nozzle supplied with air by a bellows are shown.

Catalan forge, medieval Spanish forge that yielded malleable iron of excellent quality. A mixture of iron ore and charcoal was heated intensely for several hours in a forge, forming a spongy mass of iron permeated by slag. At the correct time, the glowing ball of iron was withdrawn from the forge and hammered while hot to expel the slag.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Curley.
Citation Information
Article Title: Catalan forge
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 31 January 2023
Access Date: November 13, 2026