One Catalan legend holds that Tarragona was named forTarraho, eldest son ofTubal in c. 2407 BC; another (derived from Strabo andMegasthenes) attributes the name to 'Tearcon the Ethiopian', a seventh-century BC pharaoh who campaigned in Spain.[3] The real founding date of Tarragona is unknown.
The city's origins trace back to a possible Iberian settlement known as Kesse or Kosse, named after the local Iberian tribe, the Cossetans. However, the exact connection of Tarragona to Kesse remains uncertain.[4] Scholars such asWilliam Smith suggest that the city may have been established by thePhoenicians, who referred to it asTarchon. According toSamuel Bochart, signifies a citadel. The moniker likely stemmed from its location atop a high rock, approximately 75–90 m (250–300 ft) above sea level; earning it the epithetarce potens Tarraco.[5] It was seated on the river Sulcis or Tulcis (modernFrancolí), on a bay of the Mare Internum (Mediterranean), between the Pyrenees and the River Iberus (modernEbro).[6]Livy mentions aportus Tarraconis;[7] and according toEratosthenes it had a naval station or roads (Ναύσταθμον);[8] butArtemidorus Ephesius says with more probability that it had none, and scarcely even an anchoring place; and Strabo himself refers to it as "harbourless" (ἀλίμενος).[9][10]
Augustus wintered at Tarraco after his Cantabrian campaign, and bestowed many marks of honour on the city, among which were its honorary titles ofColonia Victrix Togata andColonia Julia Victrix Tarraconensis.
According to Mela, it was the richest town on the coast,[14] and Strabo represents its population as equal to that of Carthago Nova (nowCartagena).[14] Its fertile plain and sunny shores are celebrated byMartial and other poets; and its neighbourhood is described as producing good wine andflax.[15] The city also minted coins.[16]
An inscribed stone base for a now lost statue ofTiberius Claudius Candidus was found in Tarragona during the nineteenth century. The 24-line Latin inscription describes the governor and senator's career as an ally of the future Roman emperorSeptimius Severus, who fought in the civil war following the assassination ofCommodus in 192 AD. This important marble block was purchased by theBritish Museum in 1994.[17]
From the demise of the Roman empire to the Union of Spain
During theReapers' War, Tarragona was captured by Catalan insurgents with French support in 1641, but it was retaken by Spanish troops in 1644. It was captured by allied Portuguese, Dutch, and British troops in 1705 during theWar of the Spanish Succession and remained in their hands until theTreaty of Utrecht in 1713. During the war, the Catalans supported the unsuccessful claim ofArchduke Charles, Duke of Teschen against the victoriousBourbonDuke of Anjou, who becamePhilip V of Spain. He signed theNueva Planta decrees, which abolished theCrown of Aragon, as well as the Catalan institutions and prohibited the administrative use of Catalan language on 16 January 1716.
TheJewish community in Tarragona was established during the Roman era, making it one of the most ancient Jewish communities in Spain. Alaver, possibly used by the Jews forritual purification found in Tarragona bears the inscription "peace over Israel, over ourselves, and our children." Coins withHebrew inscriptions have also been found, dating to the Visigoth period. During Muslim rule, Jews in Tarragona prospered;Muhammad al-Idrisi nicknamed Tarragona "the city of the Jews."
After the Christian reconquest, the Jews of Tarragona faced institutional persecution and anti-semitic restrictions until the community's destruction in 1492, during theexpulsion of the Jews.[18][19]
During thePeninsular War, in the firstsiege of Tarragona from 5 May to 29 June 1811,Louis-Gabriel Suchet's Army of Aragon of theFirst French Empire laid siege to a Spanish garrison led by Lieutenant GeneralJuan de Contreras. A British naval squadron commanded by AdmiralEdward Codrington harassed the French besiegers with cannon fire and transported large numbers of reinforcements into the city by sea. Nevertheless, Suchet's troops stormed into the defences and killed or captured almost all the defenders. It became a subprefecture centre inBouches-de-l'Èbre department of French empire.
In the secondsiege of Tarragona (3–11 June 1813), an overwhelming Anglo-Spanish force under the command of Lieutenant generalJohn Murray, 8th Baronet failed to wrest Tarragona from a small Franco-Italian garrison led by Brigadier generalAntoine Marc Augustin Bertoletti. Murray was subsequently removed from command for his indecisive and contradictory leadership. The Anglo-Spanish forces finally captured Tarragona on 19 August.
Part of the bases of largeCyclopean 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 centuryTarragona Amphitheatre near the seashore was extensively used as a quarry after the fall of theWestern 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 calledPlaça de la Font, though portions of it are still to be traced. Throughout the townLatin, and even apparentlyPhoenician, inscriptions on the stones of the houses mark the material used for buildings in the town.
Two ancient monuments, at some little distance from the town, have, however, fared rather better. The first of these isLes Ferreres Aqueduct, which spans a valley about 4 km (2 mi) north of the city. It is 217 m (712 ft) in length, and the loftiest arches, of which there are two tiers, are 26 m (85 ft) high. There is a monument about 6 km (4 mi) along the coast road east of the city, commonly called the "Tower of the Scipios"; but there is no authority for assuming that they were buried here.[20]
The archiepiscopal palace, situated on the site of the ancient capitol, one tower of which still remains. It was rebuilt in the 19th century.
Near the sea, in the Roman amphitheatre, are the remains of a church calledSanta Maria del Miracle (Holy Mary of the Miracle), which belonged to theKnights Templar. It was afterwards used by theTrinitarian Order and was later converted into a penitentiary. It was demolished around 1915.[21]
The seminary of Sant Pau and Santa Tecla was founded in 1570 by the cardinal archbishop,Gaspar Cervantes de Gaeta, and was the first to comply with the decrees of theCouncil of Trent. In 1858 ArchbishopJosé Domingo Costa y Borrás built a fourth wing.Benito Villamitjana built a new seminary behind the cathedral in 1886, in the courtyard of which stands the old chapel of Sant Pau.Pope Leo XIII raised this to the rank of a pontifical university.
Tarragona is home to one of the largestports in Spain, which is an export hub for the Spanish car industry.[22]
Much of its economic activity comes from a number of chemical industries located west of the city. One quarter of all the chemical production in Spain is found in Tarragona. In 2025 this industry employed some 5,800 people. The industrial park is home to, amongst others,Ercros.[23]
The most significant living heritage is the Popular Retinue, a great parade of dances, bestiary and spoken dances, as well as the building of human towers calledcastells. These cultural traditional are especially visible during theSanta Tecla Festival, and are so popular in Tarragona that they have their own home called the "Casa de la Festa", Festivities House, which can be visited all year.[24]
A number of beaches, some awarded aBlue Flag designation, line the Mediterranean coast near the city.
Reus is the second city of the Tarragona area (101,767 inhabitants in 2006), known by its commercial activity and for being the place where the architectAntoni Gaudí was born.
The city hosted the2018 Mediterranean Games, one year later than planned, because of political and economical instability.[27]
Tarragona is one of the World Heritage Journeys in the European Union.[28] Tourism is focused on the main sites of Mercat Central de Tarragona (Central Market of Tarragona), La Rambla Nova (the main shopping street), El Serrallo fishing village, the surrounding beaches of the golden coast, the key plazas (Plaça de la Font, Plaça del Fòrum, Plaça del Rei), Balcó del Mediterrani, Praetorium and Roman Circus, Roman Amphitheatre, Model of Roman Tarraco, and the cathedral.[29]
TheGR 92 long-distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a staging point at Tarragona. Stage 25 links northwards toTorredembarra, a distance of 20.0 km (12.4 mi), whilst stage 26 links southwards toCambrils, a distance of 28.1 km (17.5 mi).[30]
Historical building of early 20th century factory of Chartreuse liqueur in Tarragona
Tarragona contains a number of small bars, restaurants, and cafes serving tapas and sandwiches, and local seafood and Catalan dishes like "pa amb tomàquet" or "neules i torrons". Many such outlets are found in the historic centre, including those at the Plaça de la Font, Plaça del Rei and Plaça del Fòrum. The neighborhood of El Serrallo, at the harbour, specialises in seafood cuisine.
Chartreuse liqueur is a famous local drink of Tarragona. Originally created in 1605, it was considered by monks to be an “elixir for long life”. It is produced in yellow, with an alcohol content of 40º, as well as green, with a content of 55º. Between 1903 and 1989, the Chartreuse liqueur made by the FrenchCarthusian Monks was distilled in Tarragona, following the monks' expulsion from France.[31] Chartreuse is now a key part of the Feast of Santa Tecla.[32] This traditional festival of national interest celebrates the patroness saint of the city.[33]
The climate of Tarragona can be described as aMediterranean climate (KöppenCsa) bordering on ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa). Despite its location in the Mediterranean region, August tends to have more precipitation than February, which is unusual for the Mediterranean climate. Winters are mildly cool and summers are warm and sultry, while the wettest seasons are spring and autumn, which receive around 54 to 77 mm (2.1 to 3.0 in) in May and September.
Climate data forVila-seca (1971–2000) town in Tarragona province, (14 km (8.70 mi) south-west of Tarragona
Tarraco Viva. An international cultural festival dedicated to the history of the Roman period, with musical concerts, exhibitions, workshops and conferences.
Sant Magí Festival, held between 15 and 19 August.
Santa Tecla Festival, held between 15 and 24 September. It has been celebrated since 1321 and it is considered of national touristic interest by the state.
The local mayor is elected by the members of the plenary from among its members the day the new municipal corporation is formed after the local election. The officeholder has a mandate for the 4-year duration of the elected body. If the mayor leaves office ahead of time a new voting may take place among the plenary members in order to invest a new mayor (meanwhile, another local councillor, conventionally the first deputy mayor may act as acting mayor). Since 15 June 2019 the mayor isPau Ricomà.[37] The opening session in which the mayor is invested is traditionally held at theSaló de Plens.
List of mayors
Since the first democratic election after theFrancoist dictatorship, Tarragona has had four democratically elected mayors:
The local is the body formed by the elected councillors of theAjuntament. The plenary meetings (Ple) are held at the Saló de Plens. It is formed by the municipal councillors, elected throughclosed party listproportional representation and 27 councillors are currently elected on the basis of the population of the municipality. Councillors are grouped in municipal groups on the basis of their political filiation. It has a government commission (Comissió de Govern; alsoJunta de Govern orJunta de Gobierno) is formed by the mayor, the deputy mayors, and a number of appointed councillors.
^Mart. x. 104, xiii. 118; Sil. Ital. iii. 369, xv. 177; Plin. xiv. 6. s. 8, xix. 1. s. 2.
^Grut.Inscr. p. 382; Orelli, no. 3127; coins in Eckhel, i. p. 27;Enrique Flórez,Med. ii. p. 579; Théodore Edme Mionnet, i. p. 51, Suppl. i. p. 104; Sestini, p. 202.
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