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The Roman Fish Salting Factory: The Garum Industry

The archaeological remains under the Castillo de la Duquesa reveal a bustling industrial complex from the Roman period. This was not a small workshop, but a large-scale fish salting factory (in Latin, a cetaria), which was the heart of the local economy for centuries.

The production process was methodical. First, workers would clean and fillet fresh fish, often small fish like sardines or mackerel, and sometimes fish intestines. These were then layered with large amounts of salt inside large, rectangular tanks constructed from brick and mortar. The mixture was left to ferment under the sun for several weeks, or even months. During this time, the heat and salt broke down the fish, creating a liquid.

The final product of this fermentation was a powerful, salty, and pungent sauce known as garum or liquamen. While its smell during production was very strong, garum was a highly prized and expensive delicacy across the entire Roman Empire, similar to a high-quality soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce today. It was used to add a rich, savoury flavour to a wide variety of Roman dishes.

This lucrative industry made the settlement at the Castillo de la Duquesa very prosperous. The garum produced here was packaged in clay jars called amphorae and traded throughout the Mediterranean. The wealth generated from this trade is evident in the quality of the other Roman ruins found at the site, such as the baths and the mosaics. The factory's success ensured that people continued to live and work at this location for hundreds of years.