Calahorra – Cathedral, Roman History and Holiday Apartment

Calahorra recounts Roman history with unusual density: the Museo de la Romanización houses more than 1,000 pieces documenting the journey from Celtiberian culture to complete Romanization from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD. Exhibits include coins, legionary weapons and catapult projectiles from nearby archaeological sites. The museum is located in the old town, in the Modernist palace known as the «Casa del Millonario».

At the southern entrance to Calahorra stands the Fuente de los Trece Caños, a monumental Neoclassical fountain completed in 1872 and named after its 13 water pipes. A few metres away is the Antiguo Lavadero, traditionally used by the women of Calahorra for washing clothes.

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Culture

The Catedral de Santa María was built through successive construction phases from the late 15th to the 18th century and presents a unified Late Gothic style. It has 16 chapels, each with its own altarpiece. On its northern side is the Portal de San Jerónimo, built in the 16th century; its three architectural sections combine Plateresque, Gothic, Renaissance and Mannerist stylistic elements.

The Museo Diocesano, with a permanent exhibition of sacred art, is located in the cloister of the Catedral de Santa María. It displays altarpieces, sculptures and goldsmith's work from the 16th to the 20th century. Notable objects include a 12th-century parchment Bible, a monstrance donated by Enrique IV and a fragment of a 15th-century Jewish Torah.

The Iglesia de San Andrés combines a 16th-century Gothic section with an 18th-century section featuring groin or lunette vaults. Its richly decorated Gothic portal has a tympanum that symbolises the triumph of Christianity over paganism through the sun, moon and synagogue. The church also contains a Rococo high altar by Manuel Adán, a choir with 53 floral-decorated seats and a Baroque image of the Immaculate Conception from the workshop of José Ribera.

The Iglesia de Santiago stands on the Plaza del Raso, the former Roman forum, and is considered an outstanding example of Riojan Neoclassicism. The Yacimiento de la Clínica preserves a monumental Roman building from the third quarter of the 1st century AD, with mosaics, paintings and stucco decoration.

Casa Santa contains a permanent photographic exhibition with a large collection of cameras, negatives, films and other material documenting the city's more recent development. The site is accessible to people with disabilities and has tactile floor guidance systems, tactile stations, QR codes and subtitles.

The Museo de Pasos de Semana Santa displays a miniature depiction of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, with 70 figures in 12 detailed scenes.

History

The former Jewish quarter was located around the Rasillo de San Francisco and bounded by the streets of Sastres, Cabezo and Murallas. It had its own fortified enclosure and a synagogue. The Judería de Calahorra dates back to the late 11th century; at its peak in the 15th century, it had around 600 inhabitants, making it the largest aljama in La Rioja.

Since 2001, Calahorra has belonged to the Network of Jewish Quarters of Spain – Caminos de Sefarad.

Pilgrimage Routes and Festivals

The Camino Jacobeo del Ebro passes through Calahorra. Pilgrims arriving from the direction of Rincón de Soto enter the town via the Camino del Carmen and are welcomed at the Crucifijo or Humilladero, a place of prayer and reflection that has existed since the 16th century. Documented links to pilgrims on the Camino have been recorded in Calahorra, including the passage of pilgrims and the existence of medieval hostels.

The Semana Santa de Calahorra has held the status of a Festival of National Tourist Interest since 2014. The Escenificación de la Pasión is an immersive performance extending for one kilometre along Avenida de Valvanera and lasting more than two hours; visitors follow the individual scenes on foot.

Mercaforvm has been organised since 1995 and transforms Calahorra's historic centre into a Roman market on Palm Sunday weekend, recreating the ancient Calagurris Nassica Iulia in great detail. The minting of coins in the Officina Monetalis is designated as a live workshop.

Nature

Paseo 4 (Vega del Ebro) is a 9.15-kilometre route of low difficulty through ecologically valuable river landscapes.

A recreational area on the Río Cidacos offers parking and picnic areas and is suitable for a day outdoors. Tierra Rapaz offers two bird shows that combine performances by specialists with modern technology.

Cuisine

The Jornadas Gastronómicas de la Verdura have been held in Calahorra since 1996. For around a week, talks, colloquia, tastings, live cooking demonstrations, samplings and other activities centred on vegetables take place.

The Museo de la Verdura is divided into six exhibition areas, each dedicated to an important stage in the region's agricultural and gastronomic process.

Other destinations in this selection: Los Molinos de Ocón, Treviana, Ollauri, Gallinero De Cameros, Villalba De Rioja, Cuzcurrita De Río Tirón, Torrecilla En Cameros, Alesanco.

For the higher-level travel overview: La Rioja.