Tarragona Highlights Private Tour

Located between Via Augusta and the provincial forum, Tarragona's circus was once used to hold horse and chariot races. An elongated structure measuring 325 by 115 metres, its original capacity has been estimated at 30,000 spectators. The complex was built in the 1st century. Unusually, it was located within the city limits and is thus endowed with several atypical architectural features. It is considered one of the best-preserved circuses in the West, although some of the original structure remains hidden under old 19th-century buildings. The Praetorium is a Roman-era tower that once housed the stairs that connected the lower city to the provincial forum by way of the circus, to which it is connected by means of underground passageways. It stands at one of the corners of the vast rectangle of the provincial forum square. In the 12th century, it was transformed into a palace for the monarchs of the Crown of Aragon. It was subsequently used as a prison.

As for the cathedral itself, construction began in the 12th century in the Romanesque style and continued throughout the Gothic period. The building was consecrated in 1331; however, it could not be finished due to the Black Death, which razed the region. The soaring entrance and rose window of its façade are one of the city’s most emblematic images. At the cloister entrance, visitors will also find the Diocesan Museum and spectacular Saint Tecla altarpiece. The cloister’s sculpture work is one of the most pre-eminent examples of Romanesque art in Catalonia and dates back to the turn of the 13th century. As for the Diocesan Museum, special attention should be called to the collections of mediaeval and modern religious art from Tarragona and its diocese, including altarpieces, stone sculptures and wood carvings, goldwork, wrought-iron work, textiles, ceramics, etc. ON SUNDAYS THE CATHEDRAL, ITS CLOSE DUE TO THE CATHOLIC MASS. (WE WILL GET INSIDE OF THE ROMAN ANPHITHEATRE INSTEAD).

In the 2nd century B.C., a great wall was built around Tarraco, delimiting the municipal boundaries. The wall originally ran some 3,500 metres. Today, approximately 1,100 metres remain, bordering present-day Tarragona's Old Quarter. The walls are the oldest Roman construction still conserved outside Italy. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, they were reinforced with bulwarks, a curtain wall and exterior fortifications in order to adapt the Tarragona defences to new forms of artillery.

An oval structure built in the 2nd century overlooking the sea, its stands were carved directly out of the underlying bedrock. The amphitheatre is 109.5 metres long by 86.5 metres wide and can hold up to 14,000 spectators. In its day, it was the scene of fights between gladiators and against wild beasts, as well as public executions. In the year 259 A.D., the Bishop Fructuoso and his deacons Augurio and Eulogio were burned alive within its confines. In the early 6th century, a Visigoth basilica was built on the site, which was eventually replaced by the mediaeval Santa Maria del Miracle (Our Lady of the Miracle) church.

Located at the top of Rambla Nova, rising 40 metres above the sea, this airy “balcony” offers a splendid view of the Mediterranean, the Tarragona port, Platja del Miracle beach and the ancient Roman amphitheatre. A place beloved by Tarragona natives, legend has it that touching its singular railing ("tocar ferro") brings good luck. Outdoor point of interest.

Located in the upper part of the city, the Tarragona Old Town is a maze of narrow and short streets full of old buildings with a somewhat special decadent air. A very charming and definitely an unmissable spot on any visit to the capital of the province.

It is located within the facilities adjoining the cloister, some from the XII-XIII centuries, amongst which we would highlight the old chapterhouse and the old Canonical refectory, covered by a pointed barrel-vault ceiling. We would also mention the Mudejar Gothic artwork from the mid XIV century in the Treasury room, with polychromic heraldic, geometric and figurative themes. Of special note are the collections of medieval and modern religious art from Tarragona and its dioceses: altarpieces, stone and carved wood sculptures, gold-work, wrought iron work, textiles, ceramics, etc. Some of the tombstone collection is kept in the Chapel of St. Tecla the Elder. ON SUNDAYS THE CATHEDRAL, ITS CLOSE DUE TO THE CATHOLIC MASS. (WE WILL GET INSIDE OF THE ROMAN ANPHITHEATRE INSTEAD).

XV century noble house

The Museum of Modern Art was created in 1976 by the Tarragona Provincial Council to promote the study and knowledge of modern and contemporary art, as well as to showcase its artistic heritage and share it with the community. Located in the Part Alta (historic centre) of Tarragona, the result of the union of three 18th century buildings, the Museum is equipped with an auxiliary library, a documentation centre and a photographic archive. Its collection includes works from different artistic disciplines from the 19th to the 21st centuries, including the legacy of the sculptor Julio Antonio and the Tarragona Tapestry by Joan Miró and Josep Royo.

Art Noveau tomb of the medieval king Jaume I.