Tarraco
Encyclopedia
Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona
(Catalonia
, Spain
). During the Roman Empire
was one of the major cities of the Iberian Peninsula
and capital of the Roman province called Hispania Citerior
or Hispania Tarraconensis
. The full name of the city at the time of the Roman Republic
was Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco. In 2000, the archaeological ensemble of Tarraco was declared a World heritage site
by UNESCO
.
who had commercial contacts with the Greeks
and Phoenicians who settled on the coast. The Iberian colonies were present particularly in the valley of Ebro
. In the municipality of Tarragona, there are findings of colony since the 5th century B.C.
The sources referred to the presence of Iberians in Tarraco are ambiguous. Livy
mentions a oppidum parvum (small colony) called Cissis, Polybius
names a polis as Kissa (Κίσσα).(Κίσσα). Shortly after the arrival of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus
to Empúries
(Emporion) in 218 B.C. in the Second Punic War
, Tarraco is mentioned for first time. Livy writes that the Romans conquered a field of Punic supplies for the troops of Hannibal near Cissis and took the city. A short time later, the Romans were attacked "not far from Tarraco" (haud procul Tarracone).) But it remains unclear whether Cissis and Tarraco was the same city. A coin found in Empúries has the Iberian bears the inscription Tarakon-salir (salir probably means silver). The coin, engraved following models of Empúries at an undisclosed location, is generally dated to 250 BC, for sure before the arrival of the Romans. The name Kesse appears on coins of Iberian origin of 1st and 2nd century BC. Were marked according to Roman weight standards. Kesse should be equated with Cissis, the place of origin of the Cissisians mentioned by Plinio.
In the year 217 B.C. Roman forces arrived by Scipio Africanus
at Tarraco. Tarraco was the winter holiday between 211 and 210, and there Publius Cornelius met the tribes of Hispania in conventus. The population was largely loyal to the Romans during the war. Livy called them allies and friends of the Roman people (socii et amici populi Romani) and the fishermens of Tarraco (piscatores Tarraconenses) served with their boats during the siege of Carthago Nova.
The earliest Roman history of Tarragona linked to the Scipios
, as Pliny the Elder
said: Tarraco Scipionum opus, Tarraco was work by the Scipios as Carthage
was by the Punics
.
The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans took over 200 years.
and Hispania Citerior
. The capital of Hispania Citerior was mainly Carthago Nova. But Strabo
says that the governors not only resided in Carthago Nova but also in Tarraco.
It is not entirely clear about the legal status of Tarraco. It was probably organized as conventus civium Romanorum (convent = meeting of Roman citizens of the province) during the republic, with two magistri (civilian directors) in head. Gaius Porciu Cato, consul of the year 114 B.C., chose Tarraco as place of his exile in the year 108. indicating that Tarraco was a free city or perhaps ally at that time.
According to Strabo one of the most recent fighting took place not far from Tarraco. When Caesar beat supporters of Pompey
in 49 a. C. in Ilerda (Lleida), Tarraco supported his army with foods. Is not entirely clear whether Tarraco received status of colony by Caesar or Augustus, but current research tends to assume that was the first who gave that status after his victory in Munda.
went to Spain to monitor the campaigns in Cantabria
. However, due to his poor health he preferred to stay in Tarraco. Apparently, Augustus had built an altar in the city, and a story of the rhetoric Quintilian
mentions that the inhabitants of Tarraco complained to Augustus that a palm tree had grown on the altar He replies that would mean it was not used very often.
Soon after the old he became the via Herculea in Via Augusta
. A milestone, found in Plaza del Toros, mentioned that highway between 12 and 6 B.C., leading Barcino
to the northeast and Dertosa, Saguntum and (Valentia
) to the south.
In the presence of Augustus the Spanish provinces were organized again. The Hispania Ulterior was divided into new provinces Baetica and Lusitania. Tarraco became the capital of Hispania Citerior, also known as Hispania Tarraconensis.
The city flourished under Augustus. The writer Pomponiu Mela it describes in the 1st century as follows: "Tarraco is the richest port on this coast" (Tarraco urbs est en his oris maritimarum opulentissima). Tarraco under Augustus and Tiberius minted own coins with depictions of the imperial cult and the inscription CVT, CVTT o CVTTAR.
After the death of Augustus in the year of 14 D.C., the emperor was officially deified and in 15 D.C. was erected a temple to bless him, probably in the eastern neighborhood or near the forum of the colony, as mentioned by Tacitus in his annales.
, who lived eight years in Tarraco, was proclaimed emperor in Clunia Sulpicia
. Under Vespasian
began a reorganization of the precarious finances of the state. According to Pliny this allowed to grant Latin citizenship to the inhabitants of Hispania. The Spanish territory, which since ancient times consisted of urban areas and a land divided by tribal organizations, was transformed in areas that were organized around urban centers of all, whether in colonies
or municipalities
, facilitating the tax collection. A rapid increase in construction could be due to the reorganization of the province. During this period were probably built the amphitheater, the temple area and the provincial forum on top of the city. Between 70 and 180 D.C. most of the statues were placed at these locations.
Under the emperor Trajan
was appointed patron of the city Senator
Lucius Licinius Sura
. Sura originated from the Tarraconensis and reached the highest offices of state. Probably in the winter 122-123 D.C. Hadrian
visited the city and held in it a conventus for Hispania. In addition, rebuilt the temple of Augustus.
With the end of the 2nd century began in Tarraco clear economic difficulties. Few statues were built in honor of the city, probably due to the lack of financiación. This period also saw the defeat of the struggle against the emperor Clodius Albinus
, whose supporters was the governor of the Tarraconensis Novio Lucius Rufo. Disappear from the inscriptions dedicated to Provinciae Concilium and appear increasingly inscriptions dedicated to military personnel. Thereafter there was less influential merchants in the ordo decurionum (civil administration) and more patroni (large landowners and public senior officials). Severus rebuilt the temple of Augustus (Elagabulus) in the amphitheater, as evidenced by an inscription of the fund.
In the year 259 were executed in the amphitheater of Tarraco the bishop Fructuosus
and his two deacons Augurius and Eulogius, under the persecution of Christianity by the Roman Empire.
After the imperial administration reforms of Diocletian
, the peninsula is a diocese divided into six provinces that were much smaller than before. Tarraco continued being capital, but in a much smaller province. The buildings destroyed during the invasion of the Franks were slowly rebuilt or replaced by new ones. Between Diocletian
and Maximian (286 to 293) was built a portico of Jupiter that may be part of a basílica.
In 476, after the fall of the Roman Empire
, Tarraco was occupied by the Visigoths and the King Euric
. There is no evidence of destruction and apparently the capture of the city was relatively quiet. Is probably that Visigoths are take over the existing structures by imposing a thin upper class. The existence of Christian tombs in this period seem to confirm. The end of the ancient history of the city came with the arrival of the Muslims
in 713 or 714.
preserved in Spain
. It was declared a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
in 2000. The city of Tarraco is the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula
, becoming the capital of the province of Hispania Citerior
in the 1st century BC.
There are still many important Roman
ruins in Tarragona
. Part of the foundations of thw large Cyclopean walls near the Headquarters of Pilate are believed to be of pre-Roman times. The building mentioned, a prison in the 19th century, is said to be the palace of Augustus
.
Tarraco, like most ancient cities, has remained inhabited, having been dismantled by its own citizens for building materials. The amphitheater
near the seashore was used as a quarry
, and currently it only left a few traces. It was built above the circus, 45.72 meters long, although some sections of it may continue tracing. Throughout the city are inscriptions in Latin
and even in Phoenician on the stones of the houses.
Two ancient monuments, some to small distance from the city, however, have aged much better. The first is a magnificent aqueduct, which crosses a valley 1,5 kilometer from the gates. Is 21 meters long, and lower arches, of which there are two rows, are almost three meters tall. The monument to the northwest of the city, and also about 1,5 kilometer, is a Roman tomb, which is usually called Torre dels Escipions
, but there is no authority that states that the Scipio brothers were buried here.
considers that the ruins that it preserved of the ancient Roman city of Tarraco deserved be included in the List of World Heritage Sites meet two criteria:
Criterion ii. The Roman remains of Tarraco are of exceptional importance in the Roman development of planning and urban design and served as model for provincial capitals elsewhere in the world.
Criterion iii. Tarraco provides an eloquent and unparalleled testimony in the history of the Mediterranean lands in the Ancient times.
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
(Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
). During the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
was one of the major cities of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and capital of the Roman province called Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
or Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis
Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the Mediterranean coast of Spain along with the central plateau. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia, was the province of Hispania Baetica...
. The full name of the city at the time of the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
was Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco. In 2000, the archaeological ensemble of Tarraco was declared a World heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Prehistory and Second Punic War
The municipality was inhabited in pre-Roman times by IberiansIberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
who had commercial contacts with the Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and Phoenicians who settled on the coast. The Iberian colonies were present particularly in the valley of Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. In the municipality of Tarragona, there are findings of colony since the 5th century B.C.
The sources referred to the presence of Iberians in Tarraco are ambiguous. Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
mentions a oppidum parvum (small colony) called Cissis, Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
names a polis as Kissa (Κίσσα).(Κίσσα). Shortly after the arrival of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus
Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus was a Roman general and statesman.His father was Lucius Cornelius Scipio, son of the patrician censor of 280, Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus. His younger brother was Publius Cornelius Scipio, father of the most famous Scipio – Scipio Africanus...
to Empúries
Empúries
Empúries , formerly known by its Spanish name Ampurias , was a town on the Mediterranean coast of the Catalan comarca of Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. It was founded in 575 BC by Greek colonists from Phocaea with the name of Ἐμπόριον...
(Emporion) in 218 B.C. in the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
, Tarraco is mentioned for first time. Livy writes that the Romans conquered a field of Punic supplies for the troops of Hannibal near Cissis and took the city. A short time later, the Romans were attacked "not far from Tarraco" (haud procul Tarracone).) But it remains unclear whether Cissis and Tarraco was the same city. A coin found in Empúries has the Iberian bears the inscription Tarakon-salir (salir probably means silver). The coin, engraved following models of Empúries at an undisclosed location, is generally dated to 250 BC, for sure before the arrival of the Romans. The name Kesse appears on coins of Iberian origin of 1st and 2nd century BC. Were marked according to Roman weight standards. Kesse should be equated with Cissis, the place of origin of the Cissisians mentioned by Plinio.
In the year 217 B.C. Roman forces arrived by Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
at Tarraco. Tarraco was the winter holiday between 211 and 210, and there Publius Cornelius met the tribes of Hispania in conventus. The population was largely loyal to the Romans during the war. Livy called them allies and friends of the Roman people (socii et amici populi Romani) and the fishermens of Tarraco (piscatores Tarraconenses) served with their boats during the siege of Carthago Nova.
The earliest Roman history of Tarragona linked to the Scipios
Scipio (cognomen)
Scipio is a Roman cognomen representing the Cornelii Scipiones, a branch of the Cornelii family. Any individual male of the branch must be named Cornelius Scipio and a female Cornelia. The nomen, Cornelius, signifies that the person belongs to the Cornelia gens, a legally defined clan composed of...
, as Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
said: Tarraco Scipionum opus, Tarraco was work by the Scipios as Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
was by the Punics
Punics
The Punics were a group of western Semitic-speaking peoples from Carthage in North Africa who traced their origins to a group of Phoenician and Cypriot settlers, but also to North African Berbers . Punics were probably a mix of Berbers and Phoenicians in terms of culture and ancestry...
.
Tarraco during the Roman Republic
During the following centuries Tarraco constitutes a supply and camp base of winter during the wars against the Celtiberians, as occurred during the Second Punic War. So it is a military presence in this period, possibly in the highest area of the current Old Town. In 197 B.C., the conquered areas, even narrow strips along the coast of Spain were divided between the new provinces of Hispania UlteriorHispania Ulterior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Ulterior was a region of Hispania roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of modern Spain and extending to all of Lusitania and Gallaecia...
and Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
. The capital of Hispania Citerior was mainly Carthago Nova. But Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
says that the governors not only resided in Carthago Nova but also in Tarraco.
It is not entirely clear about the legal status of Tarraco. It was probably organized as conventus civium Romanorum (convent = meeting of Roman citizens of the province) during the republic, with two magistri (civilian directors) in head. Gaius Porciu Cato, consul of the year 114 B.C., chose Tarraco as place of his exile in the year 108. indicating that Tarraco was a free city or perhaps ally at that time.
According to Strabo one of the most recent fighting took place not far from Tarraco. When Caesar beat supporters of Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
in 49 a. C. in Ilerda (Lleida), Tarraco supported his army with foods. Is not entirely clear whether Tarraco received status of colony by Caesar or Augustus, but current research tends to assume that was the first who gave that status after his victory in Munda.
The period of Caesar Augustus
In the year 27 B.C. Emperor AugustusAugustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
went to Spain to monitor the campaigns in Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
. However, due to his poor health he preferred to stay in Tarraco. Apparently, Augustus had built an altar in the city, and a story of the rhetoric Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
mentions that the inhabitants of Tarraco complained to Augustus that a palm tree had grown on the altar He replies that would mean it was not used very often.
Soon after the old he became the via Herculea in Via Augusta
Via Augusta
Via Augusta was a Roman road crossing all the Hispania Province, from Cádiz in the southern tip of current Spain, to the Coll de Panissars, where it crossed the Pyrenees close to the Mediterranean Sea, and joined the Via Domitia...
. A milestone, found in Plaza del Toros, mentioned that highway between 12 and 6 B.C., leading Barcino
Barcino
Barcino may refer to:*Barcelona, Spain - Barcino in Latin*Barcino, Poland**Barcino...
to the northeast and Dertosa, Saguntum and (Valentia
Valentia
Valentia may refer to:*Valentia Island, off the coast of Ireland*Valentia , a province of Roman Britain*Valence, Drôme, France, known in Roman times as Valentia*Nuragus, Sardinia, Italy, known in Roman times as Valentia...
) to the south.
In the presence of Augustus the Spanish provinces were organized again. The Hispania Ulterior was divided into new provinces Baetica and Lusitania. Tarraco became the capital of Hispania Citerior, also known as Hispania Tarraconensis.
The city flourished under Augustus. The writer Pomponiu Mela it describes in the 1st century as follows: "Tarraco is the richest port on this coast" (Tarraco urbs est en his oris maritimarum opulentissima). Tarraco under Augustus and Tiberius minted own coins with depictions of the imperial cult and the inscription CVT, CVTT o CVTTAR.
After the death of Augustus in the year of 14 D.C., the emperor was officially deified and in 15 D.C. was erected a temple to bless him, probably in the eastern neighborhood or near the forum of the colony, as mentioned by Tacitus in his annales.
The city during the high empire
In 68 D.C. GalbaGalba
Galba , was Roman Emperor for seven months from 68 to 69. Galba was the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, and made a bid for the throne during the rebellion of Julius Vindex...
, who lived eight years in Tarraco, was proclaimed emperor in Clunia Sulpicia
Clunia
Clunia was an ancient Roman city. Its remains are located on Alto de Castro, at more than 1000 metres above sea level, between the villages of Peñalba de Castro and Coruña del Conde, 2 km away from the latter, in the province of Burgos in Spain...
. Under Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
began a reorganization of the precarious finances of the state. According to Pliny this allowed to grant Latin citizenship to the inhabitants of Hispania. The Spanish territory, which since ancient times consisted of urban areas and a land divided by tribal organizations, was transformed in areas that were organized around urban centers of all, whether in colonies
Colonia (Roman)
A Roman colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city.-History:...
or municipalities
Municipium
Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...
, facilitating the tax collection. A rapid increase in construction could be due to the reorganization of the province. During this period were probably built the amphitheater, the temple area and the provincial forum on top of the city. Between 70 and 180 D.C. most of the statues were placed at these locations.
Under the emperor Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
was appointed patron of the city Senator
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
Lucius Licinius Sura
Lucius Licinius Sura
Lucius Licinius Sura was an influential Roman Senator from Tarraco, a close friend of the Emperor Trajan and three times consul - in a period when three consulates were very rare for non-members of the Imperial family - in AD 93 , 102 and 107....
. Sura originated from the Tarraconensis and reached the highest offices of state. Probably in the winter 122-123 D.C. Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
visited the city and held in it a conventus for Hispania. In addition, rebuilt the temple of Augustus.
With the end of the 2nd century began in Tarraco clear economic difficulties. Few statues were built in honor of the city, probably due to the lack of financiación. This period also saw the defeat of the struggle against the emperor Clodius Albinus
Clodius Albinus
Clodius Albinus was a Roman usurper proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania upon the murder of Pertinax in 193.-Life:...
, whose supporters was the governor of the Tarraconensis Novio Lucius Rufo. Disappear from the inscriptions dedicated to Provinciae Concilium and appear increasingly inscriptions dedicated to military personnel. Thereafter there was less influential merchants in the ordo decurionum (civil administration) and more patroni (large landowners and public senior officials). Severus rebuilt the temple of Augustus (Elagabulus) in the amphitheater, as evidenced by an inscription of the fund.
In the year 259 were executed in the amphitheater of Tarraco the bishop Fructuosus
Fructuosus
Saint Fructuosus of Tarragona was a bishop and Christian saint and martyr, the outstanding name in the early history of Christianity in Hispania. He was bishop of Tarragona and was arrested during the persecutions of Christians under the Roman Emperor Valerian . Along with him were two deacons,...
and his two deacons Augurius and Eulogius, under the persecution of Christianity by the Roman Empire.
Low empire
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
, the peninsula is a diocese divided into six provinces that were much smaller than before. Tarraco continued being capital, but in a much smaller province. The buildings destroyed during the invasion of the Franks were slowly rebuilt or replaced by new ones. Between Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
and Maximian (286 to 293) was built a portico of Jupiter that may be part of a basílica.
In 476, after the fall of the Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, Tarraco was occupied by the Visigoths and the King Euric
Euric
Euric, also known as Evaric, Erwig, or Eurico in Spanish and Portuguese , Son of Theodoric I and the younger brother of Theodoric II and ruled as king of the Visigoths, with his capital at Toulouse, from 466 until his death in 484.He inherited a large portion of the Visigothic possessions in the...
. There is no evidence of destruction and apparently the capture of the city was relatively quiet. Is probably that Visigoths are take over the existing structures by imposing a thin upper class. The existence of Christian tombs in this period seem to confirm. The end of the ancient history of the city came with the arrival of the Muslims
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
in 713 or 714.
Archaeological ensemble
The archaeological ensemble of Tarraco is one of the largest archaeological sites belonging to the Roman HispaniaHispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
preserved in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was declared a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2000. The city of Tarraco is the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, becoming the capital of the province of Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior
During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly occupying the northeastern coast and the Ebro Valley of what is now Spain. Hispania Ulterior was located west of Hispania Citerior—that is, farther away from Rome.-External links:*...
in the 1st century BC.
There are still many important Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
ruins in Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
. Part of the foundations of thw large Cyclopean walls near the Headquarters of Pilate are believed to be of pre-Roman times. The building mentioned, a prison in the 19th century, is said to be the palace of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
.
Tarraco, like most ancient cities, has remained inhabited, having been dismantled by its own citizens for building materials. The amphitheater
Tarragona Amphitheatre
Tarragona Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Tarragona, in the Catalonia region of north-east Spain. It was built in the 2nd century AD, sited close to the forum of this provincial capital....
near the seashore was used as a quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, and currently it only left a few traces. It was built above the circus, 45.72 meters long, although some sections of it may continue tracing. Throughout the city are inscriptions in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and even in Phoenician on the stones of the houses.
Two ancient monuments, some to small distance from the city, however, have aged much better. The first is a magnificent aqueduct, which crosses a valley 1,5 kilometer from the gates. Is 21 meters long, and lower arches, of which there are two rows, are almost three meters tall. The monument to the northwest of the city, and also about 1,5 kilometer, is a Roman tomb, which is usually called Torre dels Escipions
Torre dels Escipions
Torre dels Escipions is a funerary tower built by the Romans on the outskirts of Tarraco, ancient Roman city that corresponds to the present city of Tarragona...
, but there is no authority that states that the Scipio brothers were buried here.
Criteria
The UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
considers that the ruins that it preserved of the ancient Roman city of Tarraco deserved be included in the List of World Heritage Sites meet two criteria:
Criterion ii. The Roman remains of Tarraco are of exceptional importance in the Roman development of planning and urban design and served as model for provincial capitals elsewhere in the world.
Criterion iii. Tarraco provides an eloquent and unparalleled testimony in the history of the Mediterranean lands in the Ancient times.
Protected sites
| Code | Name | Place | Coordenates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 875-001 | Roman walls | Tarragona Tarragona Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona... |
41°07′12.4"N 1°15′32.6"E |
| 875-002 | Imperial cult enclosure | Tarragona | 41°07′10.3"N 1°15′30.0"E |
| 875-003 | Provincial Forum Roman Forum (Tarragona) The Roman Forum is a Roman archaeological site in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, encompassing an area of 18 ha. Together with other Roman remains in the city, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000.... |
Tarragona | 41°07′05.0"N 1°15′21.0"E |
| 875-004 | The Circus | Tarragona | 41°06′56.9"N 1°15′24.5"E |
| 875-005 | The Colonial forum | Tarragona | 41°06′52.5"N 1°14′56.6"E |
| 875-006 | The Roman theatre | Tarragona | 41°06′48.6"N 1°14′52"E |
| 875-007 | The Amphitheatre, the basilica and romanesque church | Tarragona | 41°06′53.0"N 1°15′33.5"E |
| 875-008 | Early Christian Cemetery | Tarragona | 41°06′53.1"N 1°14′18.0"E |
| 875-009 | Aqueduct Aqüeducte de les Ferreres The Aqüeducte de les Ferreres is a Roman aqueduct in Catalonia, Spain built to supply water to the ancient city of Tarraco. The aqueduct is located 4 kilometers north of Tarragona, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia... |
4 km north of Tarragona | 41°08′47.6"N 1°14′36.6"E |
| 875-010 | Torre dels Escipions Torre dels Escipions Torre dels Escipions is a funerary tower built by the Romans on the outskirts of Tarraco, ancient Roman city that corresponds to the present city of Tarragona... |
5 km east of Tarragona | 41°07′52.7"N 1°18′59.0"E |
| 875-011 | Quarry of El Mèdol | 9 km north of Tarragona | 41°08′12.7"N 1°20′22.4"E |
| 875-012 | The Mausoleum of Centcelles | 4,6 km north-northwest of Tarragona | 41°09′07.6"N 1°13′49.7"E |
| 875-013 | The villa dels Munts | 10 km east of Tarragona | 41°08′01.8"N 1°22′22.8"E |
| 875-014 | Triumphal Arc de Berà Arc de Berà The Arc de Berà is a triumphal arch some 20 km north of the city of Tarragona, Spain, close to Roda de Barà. It stands on the line of what was the Via Augusta, now the N-340 road.Its name derives from the count Berà... |
20 km east of Tarragona | 41°10′22.9"N 1°28′07.3"E |