Tarragona: attractions. What to See in Tarragona

Just some 98 km south-west of Barcelona - and you can see Tarragona, a modern port and industrial city with a population of just over 140,000 people. The municipality is part of the province of the same name, which, in turn, belongs to Catalonia - the most famous autonomous region. Further details will be described by Tarragona, attractions that invariably attract tourists. In the article you can also see a photo of this most interesting place.

A Brief History of Tarragona. Ancient Roman trace

Approximately from the III century BC. E. The territory of modern Spain was inhabited by Iberians. At the turn of the V-VI centuries. BC. E. This people founded the settlement of Kesse. It was captured by the Romans under the command of the proconsul Publius Cornelius Scipio of Africa during the Second Punic War. There was this event in 218 BC. E. On the site of a simple settlement, Scipio erected fortifications. Subsequently, around the fortress grew a city, called Tarracon. For a long time he was the capital of the ancient Roman province of Middle Spain. Subsequently, during the reign of Julius Caesar, the city was renamed the Colonia Julia Urbis Triumphalis Tarraco. A little later, after the end of the Cantabrian War, the winter cold was waiting here for Octavian Augustus, who erected a huge number of buildings in honor of the great victory. Several years of life gave this place and the future emperor Septimius Severus in the post of head of the Roman administration. The status of the capital of the kingdom of Aragon was received in the Middle Ages.

sights

Tarragona (Spain) is known for its architectural ensemble. It consists of two magnificent, insanely interesting parts. One of them relates to the Ancient Roman era, the second - to the Middle Ages. In 2000, UNESCO declared Tarragona a cultural heritage site. Today it is one of the most attractive cities for tourists. What to see in Tarragona? About this later in the article.

St. Mary's Cathedral

Tarragona, whose attractions are interesting not only for its appearance, but also for its fascinating destiny, attracts thousands of tourists every year. Most of the interesting places are located in the "old" part - Part-Alta. The magnificent beautiful building of St. Mary's Cathedral was erected in the XII century. The main elements of the structure are the statues of Archangel Michael. The first - the main sculpture - depicts him, trampling the devil. The second composition is in the treasury of the cathedral and is executed in a grotesque-satirical way: the rosy-cheeked plump Archangel Michael tramples the insane horned demon. During the very long construction of the cathedral - about 150 years - architectural genres and images have undergone many changes. This left its imprint on the decoration of the building. The cathedral turned out to be rather original - the Romanesque style is combined here with the Gothic style. The land on which this magnificent building is located has long been considered sacred. Since the time of the emperor Tiberius, the temple was built on this site. First it was the temple of Jupiter, a little later the Visigoths church, then the Moslem mosque. In the 12th century, the Catholic Cathedral of Tarragona was erected on this holy land, which, incidentally, continues to function. There are daily services and celebratory services.

Amphitheater

What else is Tarragona famous for? The sights located here have been preserved from the most ancient times. So, in the II century BC. An amphitheater was erected near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. A lot of blood, pain and suffering saw the stands of this majestic structure. The amphitheater housed 13,000 people. Here, in the terrible times of persecution, many of the first Christians martyred, who were brutally tortured and executed. In one of the winter days of 259, a huge bonfire burned in the arena under Bishop Fructuos's feet. In memory of this event and in honor of this saint every year on January 21, Christians-Tarragonians light candles in churches. For a long time the amphitheater was hidden under the earth and sand, until in the middle of the 20th century one of the archeological expeditions came across it. Due to such a long oblivion, the building seemed to be conserved. Well preserved and the stands, and the main gate, and a large arena of the amphitheater, occupying almost 2500 m ² .

Roman aqueduct

This is another interesting place, which is famous for Tarragona. Sights of the city, by the way, almost all have their own tradition. An interesting legend is also associated with the Roman aqueduct . They say that in ancient and old times, Satan erected a bridge over the gorge, and in exchange asked the soul of the first inhabitant of Tarragona, who drank water at this place. The first to quench thirst "resident" was a donkey. Since that time, the aqueduct, a height of 27 m and a length of 220 m, was named - Devil's Bridge. Initially, in the era of Roman rule, two buildings were built, along which water was brought to the city. One of the viaducts survived and remained well preserved to the present day. Today it is recognized as one of the UNESCO heritage sites. Today the neighborhood of the aqueduct is a beautiful ecological and historical park. Fans of extreme sports are given a wonderful opportunity to tickle your nerves. To do this, you just need to pass over the abyss along a narrow gutter drain.

Building with a false facade

This is one of the most popular attractions of the center of Tarragona. In 1995, the wall of one of the houses of the city was painted in a special manner by artist Carles Arola. If we consider a false facade from a distance, for example, from the center of the square, then a 3D effect is created, an illusion of the animated image. It is quite natural that this unusual fairytale side of a standard building attracts a huge number of tourists. The master of fine art captured on the deaf wall the classical façade of the Tarragon house of the 19th century. On the painted balconies among the flowers inhabit the world famous characters of Spanish legends and fairy tales. Here is the Harlequin with his Colombine, Captain and others. There was a place on the third floor for the artist and his beloved wife, whom he depicted as a busy watering of flowers.

Modern Art Museum

This is one of the most popular places that Tarragona is famous for. Attractions that combine the splendor of architecture and diverse content invariably attract visitors. Located in three reconstructed mansions of the XVIII century, the most interesting museum of the city, dedicated to contemporary art. It opened its doors to visitors in 1976 and immediately became one of the most popular places in the city. Its halls are filled with masterpieces of modern Catalan masters of painting and sculpture. Worthy place is also occupied here with furniture, jewelery, beautiful tapestries and a huge collection of ceramics from the 12th-18th centuries.

Canals House

Magnificent mansion, united in its architecture several eras. The foundation of the house rests on the remains of an ancient wall dating back to the 2nd century BC. The first floor is built on the ruins of a medieval house of the 14th century. The stunning interiors of blue and pink bedrooms, with old canvases and mirrors in heavy frames hanging on the walls, date back to the 19th century. House Canals has a terrace with magnificent views of the whole of Tarragona.

Platja Llarga

This sand strip is considered one of the best areas for sunbathing and swimming. Tarragona, whose beaches are clean and well-groomed, these are not only magnificent architectural structures. It is also a resort with a high level of service. The coast of the city is considered the standard of cleanliness and well-groomed. One of the most famous beaches is "Long". The length of this sand line is about 3 km. Here it is quite spacious and at the same time quite a few people. It attracts this place with picturesque nature - almost on the shore there are oak groves with white storks and Spanish lynxes. These territories are considered reserved. It is here that you can see the Mediterranean nature in all its glory.

Shopping centers

Tourists, however, are attracted not only by historical sites or by the virgin nature of the coast. Quite a lot of people visit shopping and entertainment centers. One of the most popular is Park-Central. Tarragona is a city in which infrastructure is well developed. TC Parc Central is located just 5 minutes walk from the city bus station. In the building there are almost everything: cafes, cinemas, boutiques, shops, supermarkets, beauty salons, kiosks, where the map of Tarragona with sights is on sale. In addition, in the shopping center there are excursion bureaus, where you can buy a tour to any part of the country.