- Ciudad etapa inédita
- Municipio de la comunidad autónoma de Cataluña
- Habitantes 141.200 (tarraconenses)
Los vestigios romanos de Tarragona y, en particular, su anfiteatro del siglo XI, que se alza sobre el mar Mediterráneo, han sido declarados Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO. Mucho antes del Tour 2026, la ciudad ya estaba vinculada a Francia por la acogida de los monjes cartujos, que encontraron refugio en ella tras ser expulsados de su destilería de Voiron. Así, el famoso licor elaborado a partir de 130 plantas también se ha producido en Tarragona, actualmente hermanada con la localidad de Isère. Este hermanamiento se firmó el verano pasado con motivo del paso de La Vuelta, cuyo pelotón hizo etapa en Tarragona en 18 ocasiones entre 1936 y 2023 antes de recalar en Voiron.
tarragonaturisme.cat
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.
