Aula· Spain, city by cityLa Rioja
Arnedo
«Arnedo fabrica una gran cantidad de zapatos de España.»Arnedo manufactures a large quantity of Spain's shoes.
Arnedo is located in the Cidacos Valley, at the foot of a red sandstone cliff carved with cave-houses that were inhabited until the twentieth century. Since the nineteenth century, it has been one of the footwear centres in Spain, and its economy still relies on shoes and preserves made from vegetables grown in the huerta.
Did you know
The Cid, by legend, lived here.
According to legend, the Cid Campeador lived in the fortress of Arnedo in the Middle Ages before the castle passed to the bishops of Calahorra.
How they talk in Arnedo
«Fardelejo» is a word almost inseparable from the city. «Zapatero» and «calzado» recur a lot in economic life because Arnedo is one of the main Spanish hubs for footwear.
golmajería
Confectionery, sweets, or a collection of treats. Used to talk about sweets and pastry preparations from the Riojan tradition.
Everyday life in Arnedo
The «capital del calzado»
Shoes have been made in Arnedo for over a century and there are dozens of factories: factory outlets attract buyers from all over the region, and in town people talk about seasons and collections.
«Aquí se hacen zapatos desde hace un siglo.» — Shoes have been made here for a century.
The «casas cueva» in the red wall
The sandstone rock above the town is riddled with excavated houses, some restored and open to visitors: you can see the windows in the wall, and some people still have their cellar there.
«Estas casas están excavadas en la roca.» — These houses are excavated in the rock.
The «buitres leonados» above the town
Dozens of griffon vultures nest on the surrounding cliffs: they can be seen circling above the houses every day, and it surprises no one anymore.
«Mira los buitres, están dando vueltas.» — Look at the vultures, they are circling.
What to eat in Arnedo
Bacalao a la riojana
Cod with dried peppers, tomato and garlic, cooked slowly in the pan.
Patatas a la riojana
Potatoes broken by hand with chorizo and dried pepper: they are broken to release the starch.
Fardelejos
Puff pastry parcels filled with almond and egg, fried and rolled in sugar.
Festivals in Arnedo
San Cosme y San Damián
26 and 27 September
The «Robo de los Santos»: the images of the patron saints are taken away at night from one neighbourhood to another, and they must be retrieved.
What to see in Arnedo
Cerro de San Miguel
The red cliff hollowed out with cave-houses, inhabited until a few decades ago.
Castillo de Arnedo
What remains of the fortress on the cliff, with a view over the Cidacos valley.
Iglesia de Santo Tomás
The large church of the town, Gothic with a Renaissance portal.
Where Arnedo comes from
A town that lived in caves
Roman era
Arenetum
Settlement on the bank of the Cidacos, below the red cliff.
10th–20th century
The caves
The Cerro de San Miguel is hollowed out with cave-houses, inhabited until the 20th century.
19th century
Shoes
The first footwear factories are born: Arnedo becomes one of the shoe centres in Spain.
20th century → today
Industry
Footwear and canning still support the town's economy.
Want to learn Spanish by travelling across Spain?
In Aula every lesson is a city lighting up on the map — Arnedo is one of them. Two hundred lessons from A1 to C2, free, starting from your level.
Start from Arnedo →