Agricultural and industrial canning heritage in Calahorra

Sculpture “Tribute to Farmers” by sculptor Lucio Marcos Pernía, made of Corten steel, which the General Irrigation Community of Calahorra donated to the city in 2008, with the dedication: “To the men and women of the countryside, who devote their lives to the land and harvest the best fruits.”
Thanks to the irrigation system, agriculture became the basis of Calahorra’s economy until the early 20th century.

Since Roman times, there have been documents explaining how to grow different vegetables; the Arabs introduced new crops and the discovery of America brought new fruits.
Luis Xubero’s 2008 sculpture represents the main vegetables grown in Calahorra’s vegetable gardens and symbolises public recognition of this agricultural heritage. Here, the crop calendar and the close relationship between season, gastronomy and tradition are explained. Calahorra is thus consolidated as the City of Vegetables, not only for its production, but also for its culture.
[Work made of bronze and marble. It measures 2 x 2 metres.]

The boom in industry is reflected in the urban architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The homes of canning industry entrepreneurs display modernist and eclectic styles that speak of economic prosperity.
The profits generated by the export of canned goods led to an urban transformation that is still visible today.

Four buildings on this street are worth mentioning: Calle de los Mártires, 18 (Casa de las Cariátides), no. 16, no. 9 (Casa Baroja), and no. 8 (Casa Díaz).

Every Thursday, farmers from the region continue to sell fresh vegetables in this square, a direct descendant of the historic markets. The Plaza de Abastos, built in 1945, reinforces this space as a traditional supply centre, demonstrating the continuity of agricultural trade in the city. The Municipal Tourist Office is located here.

Several Romans left records in their writings of farming methods (Columella) and gastronomy (Apicius), allowing us to imagine how they cultivated and cooked produce from the garden. Archaeological remains related to these activities can be seen inside the museum.

During the Middle Ages, it served as the main square. In the second half of the 15th century, it was home to the council houses and the prison.
In this setting, everyday consumer products were sold at the daily market, most of which came from the Calahorra vegetable gardens and local manufacturers.

From here, you can see the Cidacos valley and the current Senderos de la Verdura trails, which connect landscape, agriculture and sustainable tourism, continuing a centuries-old relationship with the land into the present day.
Other nearby viewpoints include Calle Cabezo (Murallas), from where you can see the agricultural land surrounding Calahorra.

The route ends at the Vegetable Museum, where all this history is summarised: territory, crops, tools, the canning industry and contemporary cultural expressions such as the vegetable costumes of the Gastronomic Days. It is the space that turns agricultural and industrial history into cultural heritage.

Since 1255, with the privilege of a weekly market on Wednesdays granted by Alfonso X, Calahorra has based its economic life on the sale of agricultural products. From 1467 onwards, by concession of Henry IV, it was held on Thursdays and was free of alcabalas (a tax on commercial exchanges). It developed next to the Plaza de la Mediavilla, in front of the cathedral gate and cemetery, extending through the Arrabal district.