Iberian Hórreo

This 18th century stone hórreo (granary in Spanish) came to its permanent home at the Albuquerque Museum from a small town on the border between Galicia, Spain and Portugal.

Hórreos are elevated to protect stored grain and other crops from rodents and the damp environment, and are held together only by the grace of gravity. They are still in use in northwestern Spain and Portugal. Wooden slats contain the materials but also allow air to circulate around the grain or other crops that are stored within. The stone and wood structure is installed in the West Sculpture Garden. It is 36 feet long and supported by 20 granite pillars.

The building deepens modern and historical connections between the two countries. This history object hints at the complex story of agriculture and the shared histories between the Iberian Peninsula and New Mexico.

Iberian Hórreo, 1740s, granite and wood, 161 5/8 × 535 1/2 × 74 13/16 in. (410.5 × 1360.2 × 190 cm), Albuquerque Museum, gift of Loewe, PC2022.23.1