The “Plaza de Abastos” (enclosed market), dating back to 1947, crashed to the ground early on a Friday morning 20 years ago, narrowly avoiding a major human tragedy.
The legendary collapse of the Plaza de Abastos of Calasparra, on the site of the current public parking area, on October 5, 2001, occurred just a few hours before the 40 regular stall holders began to set up ready for the Friday market. They were forced onto the streets to sell their products.
The reason for the collapse has never been clear, however, José Antonio Moya, correspondent for the Verdad and Noroeste newspapers, told Radio Calasparra that experts believed the cause was a “fault on the terrain,” because the market was built on a ravine filled with rubble.
There have never been any plans to rebuild the market although, during the boom years of Calasparra 15 years ago, the then Mayor, Jesus Narvarro presented an ambitious plan which included a new Town Hall, shops and a parking area on the current public parking area. However, these plans never came to fruition.
