A leaching process based on the use of HCl-CaCl2 solutions and heap-leaching techniques was investigated as potential remedial option for cleaning up Montevecchio soils, which are highly contaminated due to past mining activities, mainly with Pb up to 16000 mg/kg. The experimental work comprised all the treatment stages of an integrated circuit, i.e. agglomeration of the soil, column experiments at three scales 0.6, 1.3 and 3.0 meters, precipitation of heavy metals from the leachate and final washing of treated soil. The results of the study indicate that this process can be very effective in removing the metal contaminants from the soil, with residual concentrations satisfying soil quality guidelines. However, due to the fine texture of the soil, the good performance is restricted to piles of a limited height, i.e. no more than 1.5m height.