Tarraco, today’s Tarragona, where the Roman heart of Costa Daurada still beats strongly, invites you to take on a journey back in time to discover the splendour of what once was the capital of Roman Hispania, now declared a World Heritage Site.
Circ Romà
Listen carefully! Can you hear that noise? It's the chariot races pulled by two or four horses (bigae or quadrigae) and driven by expert charioteers (riders) who would risk glory and life in dizzying elliptical races. When you enter the Roman Circus of Tarraco ─the largest entertainment building in the Roman capital─, you realize the magnificence of this labyrinthine infrastructure, built in the late 1st century AD during the reign of Domitian. Discover all its secrets ─some areas have been turned into restaurants and leisure venues─, admire its monumentality, and meet Eutyches and Fuscvs, two of the greatest charioteers in the empire; the equivalent of today’s best Formula 1 or Moto GP drivers. Discover all the guided experiences of Roman Tarraco.
On the outskirts of Tarraco rises yet another of the great imperial infrastructures, the known as Pont del Diable (aka Aqueduct of Les Ferreres), built in the 1st century as a water supply for the Roman city. At 217 meters in length and 26 meters in height, it was erected with large ashlars placed dry, forming two rows of arches. Today, the surroundings are part of a large eco-historical park with various routes and activities.
Els Munts
Leaving the Pont del Diable and moving towards Constantí, we recommend that you visit the Roman complex of Centcelles, from the 5th century AD, which had a prolonged life until the end of the Roman era. Religious building? Mausoleum? Aristocratic villa? Military camp? Even today, it is unknown why it was built and what its function was, but what we know is that Centcelles was a large building and that its architecture would have aimed to impress the visitor. You can see the magnificence of the two central plan rooms and admire the extraordinary Christian-themed mosaics that decorate the central dome, of exceptional value. The villa also preserves some ancient baths.
The route ends in another Roman villa in Costa Daurada: Els Munts, located in Altafulla, built during the time of Emperor Augustus –who lived in Tarraco for two years– and considered one of the best-preserved aristocratic villas in Roman Hispania. The villa preserves the residential part with a beautiful collection of mosaics and wall paintings, as well as a magnificent thermal complex decorated with mosaics, marble plaques, and a statuary. Discover what the house was like, intended for the leisure and recreation of the elites of Tarraco. Plan your visit and make it coincide with a theatrical activity where Caius Valerius and Faustinus will explain, in more detail, the moment of maximum splendour of Els Munts.
