Cruising around and through Europe Part 11: A Day in Tarragona, part 1
Mar 13, 2024 09:54:49 #
Tarragona is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarragonès and Catalonia. It shares a border in the north with the Province of Barcelona and the Province of Lleida.
One Catalan legend holds that Tarragona was named for Tarraho, eldest son of Tubal in c. 2407 BC; another (derived from Strabo and Megasthenes) attributes the name to 'Tearcon the Ethiopian', a seventh-century BC pharaoh who campaigned in Spain. The real founding date of Tarragona is unknown.
The Roman ruins of Tarraco have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Part of the bases of large Cyclopean walls near the Cuartel de Pilatos are thought to pre-date the Romans. The building just mentioned, a prison in the 19th century, is said to have been the palace of Augustus. The second century Tarragona Amphitheatre near the seashore was extensively used as a quarry after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and but few vestiges of it now remain. A circus c. 450 m (1,480 ft) long, was built over in the area now called Plaça de la Font, though portions of it are still to be traced. Throughout the town Latin, and even apparently Phoenician, inscriptions on the stones of the houses mark the material used for buildings in the town.
It was a short drive of about 10km from the ship to Tarragona, though the distance “as the crow flies” was much less. We had a 3 ½ hour walking tour of this interesting city that neither of us had ever heard of until we found out that our cruise departure point was Tarragona and not Barcelona.
We got off of the coach near the amphitheater. Tarragona Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Tarraco, now Tarragona, in the Catalonia region of north-east Spain. It was built in the 2nd century AD, sited close to the forum of this provincial capital.
The amphitheatre could house up to 15,000 spectators, and measured 130 by 102 metres (427 ft × 335 ft).
It was built at the end of 1st century AD and the start of 2nd century AD, down from the walls and facing the sea. There are remains of a large inscription dating to the reign of Elagabalus (3rd century AD) and located in the podium.
In 259, during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Valerian, the city's bishop, Fructuosus, and his deacons, Augurius and Eulogius, were burned alive. After Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the amphitheatre lost its original functions. The following years some of the building's stones were used to build a basilica to commemorate the three martyrs. Tombs were excavated in the arena and funerary mausoleums were annexed to the church.
The Islamic invasion of Spain started a period of abandonment of the area, which lasted until the 12th century, when a church was built over the remains of the Visigothic church, in Romanesque style. This was demolished in 1915.
In 1576, it became the convent for the order of the Trinity until 1780 when it became a prison for prisoners who were constructing the port. After closing the prison, it was abandoned up to the mid-20th century when work was started to recover the theatre, funded by the Bryant Foundation.
The Cathedral of Tarragona (photos 6 & 7) is a Roman Catholic church in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The edifice is located in a site previously occupied by a Roman temple dating to the time of Tiberius, a Visigothic cathedral, and a Moorish mosque. It was declared a national monument in 1905.
The original, early-12th-century cathedral had perhaps a single nave and a large apse, and was in Romanesque architectural style. At the time attention was posed to defensive elements, such as the massive bell tower, annexed to the sacristy. A new project was launched in 1195, changing the church's plan to a basilica one, adding two aisles and a transept with four new secondary apses, covered by cross vaults in Gothic style. The construction benefited of donations from bishops and kings Alfons II and Peter IV of Aragon.
Part of the new edifice was opened to worship under bishop Aspàreg de la Barca (1215–1234). In 1250 Pere d'Albalat ordered the construction of a tower-dome over the transept and in 1277 Bartolomeu de Girona was commissioned the realization of the main portal. The tympanum and the apostles figures of the latter are however were executed by Jaume Cascalls and his workshop (including Jordi de Déu) around 1375. The new cathedral was consecrated by archbishop John of Aragon and Anjou, son of king James II, in 1331.
The previous post can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801899-1.html, while the first post of this series can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html.
One Catalan legend holds that Tarragona was named for Tarraho, eldest son of Tubal in c. 2407 BC; another (derived from Strabo and Megasthenes) attributes the name to 'Tearcon the Ethiopian', a seventh-century BC pharaoh who campaigned in Spain. The real founding date of Tarragona is unknown.
The Roman ruins of Tarraco have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Part of the bases of large Cyclopean walls near the Cuartel de Pilatos are thought to pre-date the Romans. The building just mentioned, a prison in the 19th century, is said to have been the palace of Augustus. The second century Tarragona Amphitheatre near the seashore was extensively used as a quarry after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and but few vestiges of it now remain. A circus c. 450 m (1,480 ft) long, was built over in the area now called Plaça de la Font, though portions of it are still to be traced. Throughout the town Latin, and even apparently Phoenician, inscriptions on the stones of the houses mark the material used for buildings in the town.
It was a short drive of about 10km from the ship to Tarragona, though the distance “as the crow flies” was much less. We had a 3 ½ hour walking tour of this interesting city that neither of us had ever heard of until we found out that our cruise departure point was Tarragona and not Barcelona.
We got off of the coach near the amphitheater. Tarragona Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Tarraco, now Tarragona, in the Catalonia region of north-east Spain. It was built in the 2nd century AD, sited close to the forum of this provincial capital.
The amphitheatre could house up to 15,000 spectators, and measured 130 by 102 metres (427 ft × 335 ft).
It was built at the end of 1st century AD and the start of 2nd century AD, down from the walls and facing the sea. There are remains of a large inscription dating to the reign of Elagabalus (3rd century AD) and located in the podium.
In 259, during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Valerian, the city's bishop, Fructuosus, and his deacons, Augurius and Eulogius, were burned alive. After Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the amphitheatre lost its original functions. The following years some of the building's stones were used to build a basilica to commemorate the three martyrs. Tombs were excavated in the arena and funerary mausoleums were annexed to the church.
The Islamic invasion of Spain started a period of abandonment of the area, which lasted until the 12th century, when a church was built over the remains of the Visigothic church, in Romanesque style. This was demolished in 1915.
In 1576, it became the convent for the order of the Trinity until 1780 when it became a prison for prisoners who were constructing the port. After closing the prison, it was abandoned up to the mid-20th century when work was started to recover the theatre, funded by the Bryant Foundation.
The Cathedral of Tarragona (photos 6 & 7) is a Roman Catholic church in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The edifice is located in a site previously occupied by a Roman temple dating to the time of Tiberius, a Visigothic cathedral, and a Moorish mosque. It was declared a national monument in 1905.
The original, early-12th-century cathedral had perhaps a single nave and a large apse, and was in Romanesque architectural style. At the time attention was posed to defensive elements, such as the massive bell tower, annexed to the sacristy. A new project was launched in 1195, changing the church's plan to a basilica one, adding two aisles and a transept with four new secondary apses, covered by cross vaults in Gothic style. The construction benefited of donations from bishops and kings Alfons II and Peter IV of Aragon.
Part of the new edifice was opened to worship under bishop Aspàreg de la Barca (1215–1234). In 1250 Pere d'Albalat ordered the construction of a tower-dome over the transept and in 1277 Bartolomeu de Girona was commissioned the realization of the main portal. The tympanum and the apostles figures of the latter are however were executed by Jaume Cascalls and his workshop (including Jordi de Déu) around 1375. The new cathedral was consecrated by archbishop John of Aragon and Anjou, son of king James II, in 1331.
The previous post can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801899-1.html, while the first post of this series can be found at https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-801137-1.html.
Arriving in Tarragona
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The Amphitheatre
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Part of the Roman Wall
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Tarragona Cathedral
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From in front of the Cathedral
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I thought this pavement was interesting
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Mar 13, 2024 10:45:20 #
Mar 13, 2024 11:02:56 #
NMGal wrote:
An interesting place.
It was an interesting place that we had never been aware of. My next post will be the second of two of Tarragona and then we went to France. Thanks for commenting.
Mar 13, 2024 11:17:56 #
Mar 13, 2024 12:44:16 #
Mar 13, 2024 13:54:40 #
A most unusual place which you show in nice detail. Such narrow "streets" if one may them that, between the buildings! Yikes. The story line and photos are truly fascinating in this set. Good job!
Mar 13, 2024 14:23:53 #
Mar 13, 2024 16:03:23 #
pixelmaven wrote:
A most unusual place which you show in nice detail. Such narrow "streets" if one may them that, between the buildings! Yikes. The story line and photos are truly fascinating in this set. Good job!
Thank you Laura, I'm glad you enjoyed this set. Many (most?) of the central city areas were built before cars, which accounts for the narrow streets in many places.
Mar 13, 2024 16:03:59 #
UTMike wrote:
Very nice tour, Dennis.
Thanks Mike, I appreciate your compliment.
Mar 13, 2024 19:40:15 #
Mar 13, 2024 20:27:43 #
Fantastic set Dennis. I love how they excavate ancient ruins in the middle of a city and leave them for people to enjoy. I doubt whether that would ever happen here - the stones would be carted off in no time!
Mar 14, 2024 02:35:03 #
PAR4DCR wrote:
Good story telling images Dennis.
Don
Don
Thank you Don, I appreciate it.
Mar 14, 2024 02:43:18 #
srfmhg wrote:
Fantastic set Dennis. I love how they excavate ancient ruins in the middle of a city and leave them for people to enjoy. I doubt whether that would ever happen here - the stones would be carted off in no time!
Thanks Mark! I think you're right; bulldoze them and put in a parking lot, like the Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi.
Mar 14, 2024 08:35:05 #
Mar 14, 2024 09:23:51 #
Excellent shots Dennis, I have very similar shots (not as good..lol) Spain is a photographer's paradise.
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