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Now one of the largest ports in Spain, Tarragona
was probably founded by the Phoenicians and a wall of huge stones
apparently protected it originally; but whatever the defences they
were no match for the soldiers of the Roman Empire under the generalship of Gnaeus
and Publius Scipio who captured it in the third century BC despite
its position on a high hill rising straight out of the sea. One of
the first major cities conquered in Spain by the Romans, it was
quickly adopted as a major base and eventually became one of the
most prosperous ports in the entire Roman Empire. There are quite a lot of Roman remains left in Tarragona, but as ever they have been stripped over the years for building materials and it is interesting to see obviously ancient stonework built into fairly recent buildings. However a building reputed to be an Imperial Palace still remains, now known as the Castle of Pilate, as well as remnants of an amphitheatre (sadly much denuded), several towers and walls, the Forum and the circus. Outside the city there is a still magnificent aqueduct, the triumphal arch of Bara, built during the Augustan age and one of the best preserved Roman arches in the world, and a tower known as the Tower of the Scipio's; popular rumour has it that the Scipios were buried there but evidence points to this being incorrect. Looking for insurance in the UK? Try here for young drivers insurance car insurance for seniors short term insurance for car or cheap taxi insurance It is believed that Saint Paul founded the Spanish church at Tarragona and the ecclesiastical link still remains; there is a pontifical university in the city, an Archbishop has his seat there and there is a museum of Christianity with one of Spain's largest collections of early Christian documents.
The city is now a major seaport with, probably, the largest export of coal in Spain and there is a flourishing chemical industry, and a major petrol refinery. The Roman remains have been elevated to the status of a UNESCO world Heritage site. Copyright Rockhistory 2009
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The Moorish invasion was a disaster for Tarragona; the existing
city was destroyed and it was not until the Christian forces
defeated those of Islam in the 12th century that it started to
regain its prominence as the capital city of Aragon.