Archaeological ensemble of Tarragona

The city of Tarraco (Colonia Julia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco), the present Tarragona, is the oldest Roman settlement in the Iberian Peninsula. Its importance has grown constantly to become one of the main cities of Roman Spain and capital of the province of Hispania Citerior or Hispania Tarraconensis in the first century BC. From the times of splendor of the Roman period important monuments and vestiges have been conserved and can be visited.

The Roman remains of Tarraco have a great historical, architectural, artistic and archaeological value. In the year 2000, UNESCO has approved to include in the World Heritage List the architectural ensemble of Tarraco for its relevance in the development of Roman urban planning and design, serving as a model for provincial capitals in the rest of the world, and for being an unprecedented witness of an important stage in the history of the peoples of the Mediterranean.

The Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, one of the most extensive preserved in Spain, is formed by 14 sites and monuments located in Tarragona and surroundings: The Roman city, the Imperial cult enclosure, the Provincial Forum, the Circus, the Colony Forum, the Roman Theater, the Amphitheater, the Paleocristian Necropolis, the Aqueduct, the Scipion Tower, El Mèdol quarry, the Centcelles mausoleum, the Els Munts Villa and the Berà Arch.