About Tarragona Part Alta Historic City Centre Walking Route

Tarragona is a city with a long history and was once the oldest Roman settlements (Tarraco) on the Iberian Peninsula, known in those days as Tarragona. On this page I have detailed some of the interesting squares and sights as you walk round the Roman & medieval parts of the city.

The Roman and Medieval walled old quarter historic centre of Tarragona is known as Part Alta because of it's location on a rocky 160m high plateau. This walking route will point out the interesting points between visiting the museums and cathedral.

• Plaça del Rei: can be found outside the Roman Praetorium building. The square has two churches, Nazareth and Trinity and Parish of the Holy Trinity. This square is the meeting place of the misteris, a procession of the Holy Burial during Holy Week.
• Plaça d'en Rovellat: Is the centre of the Jewish quarter of Tarragona (Call jueu). The evidence points to the ruins and arches were the synagogue with school, bathhouse and residential properties around the synagogue. The Jewish district was established in the 12th century and grew till 1492, when the Semites were expelled from Spain.
• Plaça del Forum: Contains remains of the old representation square of the Roman provincial forum. On Saturdays hosts a fruit and vegetable market. Square used for celebrations during the festivities of Santa Tecla with various processions and events. The square was created after the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939), since the bombings on the city destroyed part of the buildings that were erected inside the current square.
• Portal de San Antonio: The east gate through Tarragona wall. The current door is not of Roman origin, but was built in Savinosa stone with marble applications in 1737, in a Baroque style. Above the semi-circular arch, you can see the shield of Philip V, flanked by lions. In the keystone of the arch, there is the shield of Tarragona. On the sides there are two pilasters with military trophies in the Roman style.
• Font d’Armanyà: The Mina de l'arquebisbe supplied water to the city of Tarragona since the 18th century. The water reached the city through an aqueduct. The work was promoted by Archbishop Joaquín de Santiyán i Valdivieso, between 1779 and 1783, and continued by his successor Archbishop Francesc Armanyà i Font. A fountain of that water is located in Plaça de San Antonio.
• Plaça de Santiago Rossinyol & Pla del Seu: Former Plaça de les Cols, it has been documented as a vegetable market since medieval times. During the 14th century, with the consecration of the Cathedral in 1331, the construction of the Market porches was carried out. Square with an important cultural role in carrying out significant demonstrations during the city's patronal festivities.
• Pla de Palau:Medieval square behind the Cathedral. Oil and soap were measured and sold in this square.
• Plaça de Sant Joan: Typical square with small houses all made of stone, the most interesting of which are the ones embedded in the Roman wall. There is also a fountain of modern construction, on the wall of the garden of the Lord Archbishop, which is popularly known as Font de la Pitja.
• Portal del Roser: The west gate through Tarragona wall and the main entrance for visitors approaching from the landward side of the city. The portal.
• Plaça del Pallol: The buildings in Plaça del Pallol correspond to part of the central gallery of the western side of the square that represents the Provincial Forum (1st century AD). The Pallol arcade formed part of the constructions of the great square of the Provincial Forum of Tarraco and must have been, in Roman times, a long gallery that ran behind the portico and was used to support a second floor. Externally the western wall of the arcade is conserved up to a height of 17.70 metres. A door with a semi-circular arch opens into the wall that forms a part of the same building. The rest of the arcade was built using Roman concrete. The current Plaça de Pallol layout is documented back to the 16th century under the name of Pla de Sant Feliu, although we know that it existed before that.
• Escales de la Baixada Misericòrdia: Medieval stairs from the highest part of Tarragona that housed the Roman Provincial Forum down to the lower part that housed the Roman Circus.
• Plaça dels Sedassos: The first thing that will capture your attention is the giant Mural that occupies the whole side of a building. The painter and muralist Carles Arola is the author of this work. Using the trompe-l'oeil technique, this façade simulates its decoration with elements and characters typical of the 19th century, in addition to introducing festive elements of the city such as the big heads during the festivals of Sant Magí and Santa Tecla. Note the the representation of the author's own workshop, the self-portrait of him on the balcony and the horse poking it's head out of the barn door. You will also find Remains of the Roman Circus in this square.
• Plaça de la Font: The largest public square in Tarragona Part Alta is dominated by the building with a neoclassical façade of the city's Town Hall. The square occupies part of the footprint of the Roman Circus arena where chariots would race. Since the 14th century, the popular Tarragona fair has taken place in this square. In the Middle Ages many public performances took place here. The square was known as Plaza del Corral. Note the streetlights by Ramón Salas (1889). The square is lined with Bars and Restaurants and is vibrant in the evenings.

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