Restoration of the roman circus

Tarragona, Tarragona, Cataluña.

Dating of the building: 1st, 14th and 16th centuries.

Applicant: Tarragona City Council.

Reason for the award :

For the restoration and recovery work of the Roman Circus.

Europa Nostra was five years ahead of the later recognition of the Tarragona archaeological site by UNESCO.

The Roman ruins of Tarragona are among the best in Europe. The importance of the capital of Hispania Citerior attests to the exceptional civil buildings that were built in the 1st century AD and that today make up the magnificent archaeological site of Tarraco: walls, forum, the praetorium, amphitheatre, and circus. The restoration of the circus, awarded with a Europa Nostra medal, laid the foundations for a definitive recognition that would arrive in the year 2000 when Roman Tarragona was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The circus is notable for its intramural location, something strange in Roman cities. Closed for decades, its declaration as a National Monument in 1966, promoted interest to restore it.

The results of the first restoration campaigns allowed for the opening to the public of the vaults of San Hermenegildo, so-called because they are believed to be the place of martyrdom of the saint. The work began in 1988 starting with the removal of the structures built over the centuries on its stands. Work was also done on the reconstruction of the medieval walls and the Charles V tower, the creation of new public spaces, access stairways, and garden areas. Finally, the installation of the Roman Museum in the thousand-year-old governor’s building, the Praetorium, was completed.

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