Forum of Tarragona

The city of Tarragona (formerly the Roman city of Tarraco) is laid out around its provincial forum. The Romans built this one in the year 73 A.D.
Photo: Model of Tarraco's forum in the Roman times.

In a Roman city, the forum is an important commercial, religious and political place.
These days, it seems hard to contemplate the magnitude of the site, but models allow us to realize the composition of Tarragona in the Roman times.
Photo: Model of the forum after the urbanization (from the 12th century).

The forum of Tarragona is a huge monumental site covering 18 hectares. It is composed of two big places surrounded on 3 sides by complex structures made of porticoes under which small shops can be found.
The smallest location, yet with a very impressive size of 153 meters by 136, is slightly elevated. It is dedicated to worship. You can find a temple dedicated to the Emperor Augustus, and another dedicated to the Capitoline triad (the three divinities Jupiter, Juno and Minerva). This location with a religious function was located where the current cathedral is today. You could also find a staircase at the same location as the big staircase you can see today, from which you can access both places.
The second location, the biggest one, was dedicated to ceremonies. You could find a curia, a building where the equivalent of a "city counsil" would reunite. This location measured 175 meters wide and 318 meters long, which makes it the biggest ever built in the Roman Empire. This proves again the power represented by this city.
The forum of Tarragona was used until the 5th century, a period when the monuments all around started being turned into homes. In the 12th century, an urbanization inside the forum was then witnessed.