Ensemble archéologique de Tarragone
The Archaeological Ensemble of Tarragona has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2000. It extends around the city of Tarragona and includes: Roman walls, the provincial forum, the Roman circus, the ancient amphitheatre, the Roman theatre, the Paleochristian necropolis, a triumphal arch, etc.
Forum provincial
Construction : 1st century (under Vespasian)
History : the Forum was built by the Romans in 73, during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. It was used until the mid-5th century. From that time onwards, the buildings surrounding the square were converted into private dwellings. From the 12th century, the interior of the square was urbanized and the street layout—preserved to this day—was established. The outer perimeter of the provincial Forum is well known, thanks to walls still visible at many points across the ancient territory of the city.
Characteristics : the complex consists of two squares, one measuring 318 × 175 m dedicated to ceremonies, and the other 153 × 136 m dedicated to worship.
Listing : UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Amphithéâtre de Tarragone
Construction : 2nd century (under the reign of Hadrian)
History : the amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, beyond the city walls. Used from the 2nd to the 4th century as a venue for spectacles, it was then abandoned until the construction of a Visigothic basilica in the 6th century. Of this basilica, the foundations, part of the doorways, the floors and ten of the twelve column bases remain. In the 12th century, a Romanesque-style church was built here, paying homage to Santa Maria del Miracle. Today, the lateral walls, doors, engaged columns, windows and apses can still be observed. The amphitheatre site was later used as a convent from 1576 to 1780 and then as a prison from 1796 to 1908. It was subsequently reclaimed by the State and the city of Tarragona.
Distinctive feature : in 1998 the Tarraco Viva festival was created to showcase Roman culture. It takes place over two weeks in May in the amphitheatre, where reenactments of gladiatorial combat are staged.
Listing : National Monument in 1924; UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Cirque de Tarragone
Construction : 1st century (under the reign of Domitian).
History and characteristics : the Circus of Tarragona was the building where horse and chariot races were held. It stood between the Via Augusta and the provincial forum. Elongated in shape, it measured 325 meters in length and 115 meters in width, with a capacity of around 24,000 spectators. Unusually, it was built within the city itself, which gives it particularly distinctive architectural features. It is considered one of the best-preserved circuses in the West, although part of its structure remains hidden beneath 19th-century buildings.
Listing : UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Porte de Béra
Construction : 1st century.
History and characteristics : the arch stands along what was the Via Augusta in Roman times, now the N-340 road, about twenty kilometers from Tarragona. It was built in the first decade of the 1st century in honor of Emperor Augustus, then renovated following a testamentary disposition by Lucius Licinius Sura at the end of the 1st century. In modern times, it has undergone various rehabilitations and alterations.
Listing : UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Musée national archéologique
Founded in the 19th century, the museum is the oldest in Catalonia in its field. Most of the pieces on display were found over the past 150 years during excavations carried out in the nearby Paleochristian Necropolis. The works exhibited in the museum illustrate the historical and heritage importance of the Roman city of Tarraco. Its rooms also house numerous remains of sculptures, mosaics, architectural works, ceramics, domestic and military utensils, amphorae, clothing, funerary objects, coins... Most of these pieces come from major heritage areas of the city such as the theatre, the circus, the amphitheatre or the forum.
The museum is currently closed for renovation.
Musée d’art moderne
The Museum of Modern Art was created by the Provincial Council of Tarragona in 1976 to promote the study and knowledge of modern and contemporary art, as well as to preserve and exhibit its artistic heritage and share it with the community. Located in the Part Alta (historic center) of Tarragona and formed from the union of three 18th-century houses, the museum has an auxiliary library, a documentation center and a photographic archive. Its collection includes works from various artistic disciplines spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries, including the legacy of sculptor Julio Antonio and the Tarragona tapestry by Joan Miró and Josep Royo.
Cathédrale Sainte-Thècle
Construction : 1171
Style : Romanesque and Gothic.
History : the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Thecla, was built in 1171.
Characteristics : its façade is Romanesque with a Gothic portal adorned with sculptures of Christ of the Last Judgment, twenty-three prophets of the Old Testament and apostles, and the Virgin and Child. The upper part of the façade remains unfinished due to the crisis caused by the Black Death of 1348. A 4th-century Paleochristian sarcophagus can also be found here. The large rose window recalls that of Notre-Dame de Paris. The interior of the cathedral unfolds around a great nave and chapels: that of Saint Thecla, the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Sepulchre, the Eleven Thousand Virgins, Our Lady and the Blessed Sacrament. The tomb of Archbishop John of Aragon and the altarpiece above the high altar are remarkable.
Distinctive feature : the cloister, built in 1214, adjoins the cathedral. It served the canons of the cathedral chapter.
Listing : Pope Leo XIII conferred the title of minor basilica on the cathedral in 1894; it has been a historic monument since 1905.
Sagrada Familia
Construction : ongoing (begun in 1884)
Architect : Antoni Gaudi
Style : Catalan Modernisme.
History : on 31 December 1881, Josep Maria Bocabella, acting on behalf of “the Association of the Devotees of Saint Joseph,” purchased land using alms collected to build a church dedicated to the Holy Family (Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary and Jesus). The project was entrusted to a young architect with innovative ideas, Antoni Gaudi, who wanted to make this church the tallest building in Barcelona. To support the load, he introduced new methods such as the catenary arch and hyperboloid vaults. The length is 120 m and the width is 45 m. The Sagrada Familia became the work of his life, and he devoted his last fifteen years to it. Work began in 1884 and, in 1885, the crypt was inaugurated. Gaudi was struck by a tram in 1926 and died while the construction of the whole had scarcely begun. It is still underway, but the completion of the highest tower (172.5 m) is to be celebrated in June 2026.
Characteristics : it is one of the best-known examples of Catalan Modernisme and an emblematic monument of the city. An unfinished work by the architect Antoni Gaudí, the Sagrada Familia is located in the neighborhood of the same name. The architect designed meticulous symbolism that makes the building a mystical poem. He also demonstrated great boldness in formal construction, such as his way of conceiving the catenary-arch structure or combining naturalistic sculptural treatments with the abstraction of the towers.
The little story : the Sagrada Familia is the most visited monument in Spain, surpassing the Alhambra in Granada and the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Listing : the part of the monument built during Antoni Gaudi’s lifetime (the crypt and the Nativity Façade) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
Parc Güell
Construction : 1900 to 1914.
Architect : Antoni Gaudi.
History : Parc Güell was designed by Antoni Gaudi between 1900 and 1914 on a commission from Eusebi Güell, his main patron. The original brief was to create a neighborhood for affluent families on a property of more than 17 hectares, of which only one sixth was to be built upon, while preserving the view of the sea. Work began in October 1900 with the leveling of the land. Antoni Gaudi designed several systems for capturing and storing water, in order to irrigate vegetation and prevent soil erosion that could be caused by periods of intense rainfall. Antoni Gaudi moved his residence to Parc Güell in 1906, settling there with his father and his niece. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and faced with difficulties selling the park’s properties, the project was abandoned. That year, only two houses were built, including that of Eusebi Güell, who moved in 1907 into the park of his dreams. Upon his death in 1918, his heirs offered the park to the Barcelona City Council. It was not until 1926 that it opened as a municipal park, and since then it has been the city’s most important park.
Distinctive features : Barcelona has more than 400 dragons referencing the legend of Sant Jordi (the patron saint of Catalonia). Among all these dragons, the one in Parc Güell is the most photographed and well-known in the world.
Current status : once free of charge, entry to the park is now paid to limit crowds.
Listing : UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Antoni Gaudi
Antoni Gaudi was born on 25 June 1852 in Reus. He came from a family of coppersmiths, which allowed him from a young age to develop a particular skill in handling space and volume by helping his father and grandfather in the family workshop. Gaudi was a child of fragile health, which forced him to spend long periods resting and observing nature. In 1870, he moved to Barcelona to study architecture while holding various jobs to finance his studies. He was an irregular student, but one who already impressed his professors. When he finished his studies in 1878 at the School of Architecture, the director, Elies Rogent, declared: “I don’t know whether we have awarded the diploma to a madman or a genius; time will tell.” With his degree in hand, Gaudi set up his own practice in an office on Carrer del Call in Barcelona, where, with great devotion, he embarked on a body of work that today forms part of UNESCO’s World Heritage.
In 1878, Gaudi met Eusebi Güell, a wealthy developer who became his patron. Beyond his relationship with Güell, Gaudi received a large number of commissions and proposed countless projects. Masterpieces followed one after another: Casa Batllo, Casa Milà, Parc Güell and the Crypt of Colonia Güell. As he grew older, Gaudí—who in his youth had been a fashionable dandy—neglected his appearance and withdrew from social life to devote himself to his faith and the work of his life: the Sagrada Família. He died on 10 June 1926, struck by a tram as he was walking, as every evening, to the Sagrada Família. After the accident, he lost consciousness and no one recognized in this shabby old man the famous architect. He was taken to the Hospital de la Santa Creu, where he was recognized by the priest of the Sagrada Família. His funeral took place two days later at the Sagrada Família. A huge crowd filled the streets of Barcelona to bid farewell to Gaudí, the most universal architect the city had ever known.
Palais de la musique catalane
Construction : inaugurated in 1908
Style : Catalan Modernisme.
Architect : Lluis Domènech i Montaner
History : the project was launched in October 1904, when the Orféo Català commissioned architect Lluis Domènech i Montaner to build a structure to house its headquarters on the site of a former cloister. The first stone was laid on 23 April 1905. At that time Domènech i Montaner was already an important figure in Catalonia because of his political and cultural activities. As an architect he had already designed the Montaner i Simon publishing house, which today houses the Tàpies Foundation, the building nicknamed the “Castle of the Three Dragons,” and several other lesser works. He was above all a key political figure of late 19th-century Catalanism. Montaner called upon a wide variety of artisans and manufacturers to decorate the palace with numerous mosaics and sculptures. Some of these decorations carry a strong nationalist character. The palace’s architecture is representative of Catalan Modernisme through the use of curves prevailing over straight lines, a preference for dynamic rather than static forms, and abundant floral and organic motifs. After three years of work, the palace was inaugurated on 9 February 1908. The building won an annual artistic competition organized by the city council and was promoted as “building of the year.”
Characteristics : the auditorium is designed for instrumental concerts and vocal recitals. However, numerous cultural events have been hosted within its walls: plays, political debates and, naturally, concerts covering all repertoires—classical music, jazz and popular music. The auditorium’s acoustics are particularly remarkable for choral music and chamber orchestras. For large symphonic ensembles, the hall presents certain shortcomings in the upper areas. The greatest performers and conductors have appeared in this hall, an authentic sanctuary of music in Catalonia.
Listing : UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Camp Nou
Construction : 1954 to 1957.
History : the Camp Nou stadium was built by architects Francesc Mitjans Miró, Josep Soteras Mauri and Lorenzo Garcia Barbon after a particularly triumphant period for FC Barcelona. It replaced the Camp de les Corts located in the same district. With an initial capacity of 93,000 seats, and after three years of work, it was inaugurated on 24 September 1957. In the following years, the Camp Nou saw few changes, apart from its capacity being increased to 120,000 seats ahead of the 1982 World Cup and the opening of a club museum in 1984. In 1993, 1994 and then in 1998, the stadium underwent new renovation works to comply with safety standards introduced by UEFA. In 2022, music-streaming service Spotify reached an agreement with FC Barcelona to acquire the stadium’s naming rights. Work began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
Characteristics : with a capacity of 105,000 spectators after the 2026 works, Camp Nou will remain the largest stadium in Europe. Ovoid in shape, it has three tiers of blue and red stands bearing the inscription “Més que un club” (“More than a club” in Catalan), the motto of the Barcelona club. It is open-air over most of its surface. A roof covers the presidential boxes and officials’ stand, representing 41% of the seating area. The stadium covers a total surface of 55,000 square meters, i.e. 250 meters long by 220 meters wide.
Attendance record : on 5 March 1986, 120,000 people attended the match between FC Barcelona and Juventus (first leg of the European Cup quarter-finals).
Listing : Asset with urban protection. Listed in the Inventory of Catalonia’s Cultural Heritage.
La Rambla
It is Barcelona’s most famous and busiest thoroughfare. The avenue consists of a central pedestrian walkway flanked by two carriageways in opposite directions. The whole averages 35 m wide and 1.2 km long. It is dotted with small newsstands, flower sellers, vendors of birds and animals, bars and restaurants, mimes, shops and street hawkers. Several buildings of interest are found here, such as the Vicereine’s Palace, the covered Boqueria market, the former Figueres house and the famed Gran Teatre del Liceu, the city’s opera house, designed by architect Miquel Garriga (1808–1888). The surrounding streets are representative of the neighborhood, such as Carrer Ferran and Plaça Reial. A little further on is Plaça Sant Jaume, the political heart of the city. La Rambla has a large number of cafés and restaurants. On Sundays it is a meeting place for stamp and coin collectors and one of the city’s main tourist areas. Once a popular and bourgeois promenade, mass tourism (notably since the 1992 Summer Olympics) has stripped it of its “authentic” character, and it is now hardly frequented by locals.
History : La Rambla was built on the bed of a former stream, filled in with sand, hence its name, which comes from the Arabic ramla = sand. The name Rambla appeared in the 18th century, and the Rambla square (today Plaça de Catalunya) was already a gathering place. Most of the convents lining it disappeared in fires in 1835. The current buildings were then constructed. In 1976, at the request of the city council, Joan Miró created three ceramic mosaics on La Rambla.
La Boqueria
Construction : 1840 to 1853
History : the first mention of Barcelona’s market dates from 1217: tables were set up near the former city gate named Boqueria to sell meat. From December 1470, a pig market was held at this spot, which at the time lay outside the city. Later, the authorities decided to build a separate market on La Rambla mainly for fishmongers and butchers. A 1835 resolution called for the construction of an official square. A year later, a building was planned in the center of this square, with work beginning on 19 March 1840 under the direction of architect Mas Vilà. The market officially opened the same year, but the plans were modified many times until 1846. The official inauguration finally took place in 1853. In 1911, the new fish market opened, and in 1914 the metal roof that can still be seen today was installed. The market’s extension and the redevelopment of its surroundings were carried out by Catalan architect Carme Pinos in the 2000s.
Grand Théâtre du Liceu
Construction : 1847
Style : Catalan Modernisme.
History : the Gran Teatre del Liceu was built in 1847 on La Rambla by Barcelona’s bourgeoisie on the site of a former convent. It was intended to house the music conservatory and, above all, to create a space where high society could see and listen to opera, the star cultural product of the time. The Liceu thus became a symbol of the city of Barcelona, to the point that when a fire destroyed it in 1994, the whole of Catalan society was shaken. Reconstruction endowed the Liceu building with highly modern technical and stage infrastructure, while faithfully restoring the theater’s original appearance.
Characteristics : the Gran Teatre del Liceu is one of Europe’s most remarkable opera houses. Located on La Rambla, it hosts major productions of opera, ballet and symphonic music every year. With its two thousand two hundred and ninety-two seats and its five performance spaces, the Gran Teatre del Liceu on Barcelona’s Rambla is today one of the largest opera theaters in the world. The season of opera, dance and music begins in September and runs through July. In addition, the Gran Teatre del Liceu allows the public to visit its most representative spaces, while enjoying the details and the magnificence of its architecture. Highlights include the Main Hall, the Foyer and the Hall of Mirrors, as well as the Cercle del Liceu. The seat of this private club is a magnificent example of Catalan Modernisme, with period furnishings and original works by painter Ramon Casas.
Tour Glories
Construction : 1999. Inaugurated in 2005
Architect : Jean Nouvel.
Style : high-tech architecture.
History : since its creation this building has housed the headquarters of Grupo Agbar, Barcelona’s water company. In 1999, private developer Inmobiliaria Layetana launched the construction of the tower at a cost of 132 million euros. In 2007, Layetana sold the tower to the property company Azurelau, which in 2010 sold it on to Grupo Agbar—then 75% controlled by the French company Suez Environnement—for 165 million euros. In 2013, the skyscraper was bought by the Hyatt hotel chain, with the aim of turning it into a hotel, a project abandoned four years later. It was then sold again, still at a loss, to Merlin Properties, which turned it into an office building renamed Tour Glories, after the neighborhood. In 2018, the American company Facebook announced the installation of its “anti-fake news” subsidiary’s offices on 8 floors of the Tour Gloriès.
Characteristics : the tower is located on Avinguda Diagonal, near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes. It offers 30,000 m² of office space, 3,210 m² for technical services and 8,351 m² for various functions, notably an auditorium and parking, for a total area of 50,693 m². Tour Glories is 145 meters high and has 38 floors, four of them underground. This tower has become one of Barcelona’s most remarkable buildings, now ranking third in height, behind the Hotel Arts and the Mapfre Tower, both of which rise to 154 meters.
The little story : Tour Glories is nicknamed “the suppository” by Barcelonans.
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