Catedral de Santa Tecla de Tarragona

About Catedral de Santa Tecla de Tarragona

Dedicated to Saint Tecla, Tarragona Cathedral was built on approximately the same site of what was once the Roman temple that formed part of the provincial forum, being the seat of the Tarraco provincial government in the 1st century A.D.

Catedral de Santa Tecla de Tarragona was built around two terraced squares. The upper square (the imperial cult complex) was surrounded by a portico, large portions of which can be seen today in the cloister of the city's cathedral. At one end was a large hall, which has been identified as the cella, or inner sanctuary, of a magnificent temple of the imperial cult.

Construction of Tarragona Cathedral began in 1171, when Hug de Cervello, archbishop of Tarragona, bequeathed a sum of money in his will. The Cathedral is constructed following a Romanesque style with construction continuing throughout the Gothic period until consecration in 1331. However, finishing the cathedral was delayed due to the Black Death.

Notable features are the steps in Plaça de la Seu that lead up to the soaring entrance and rose window of its façade. At the cloister entrance, visitors will find the Diocesan Museum and spectacular Saint Tecla altarpiece. The cloister's sculpture work is a fine example of Romanesque art from Catalonia dating to the turn of the 13th century.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1331, when the John of Aragon was Archbishop of Tarragona and Patriarch of Alexandria. Its grandiosity and solidity have earned it the reputation of the finest cathedral in Catalonia.

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