We've been organizing events for over 2,000 years!
Tarragona is an old Roman city that was super important in Hispania during the Roman Empire and even the capital of the Roman province called Hispania Citerior or Hispania Tarraconensis.
The city's full name was Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco. And get this, in the year 2000, Tarraco's archaeological site was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO!
Tarraco, or Roman Tarragona, got its start in 218 BC when the Roman armies showed up in the Iberian Peninsula. The Scipios (brothers Gnaeus and Publius Cornelius) were behind Tarragona's creation. Pliny even mentioned it later, in the 1st century AD. Basically, the city was founded right in the middle of the Second Punic War (that big fight between Carthage and Rome).
The port was super important for the city's beginnings. But what's really well-preserved from the Roman Republic days is the city wall. It probably started as just a wooden fence to protect the military area. Then, once Rome beat the Carthaginians and Hispania officially became part of the Roman state, they built a stone wall around 197 BC. And a little later, it ended up surrounding all of Tarraco, the whole city center.
Tarragona really shined as a Roman colony around 26 and 25 BC. That's when Augustus himself stayed there to lead his campaigns against the Cantabrians and Astures. Having him and his army around really made Tarraco grow as a city. You can still see proof of that with the lighthouse and the Roman theater.
By the year 73, everyone in Hispania was considered a full Roman citizen. Plus, they created new administrative areas, with the provincial capital as the main hub. So, Tarraco, being the capital of Hispania Tarraconensis or Citerior, ended up with two forums – one for the colony and one for the province. And years later, they even added a circus!
In the 2nd century, when the city was really booming, they built another cool spot for entertainment: the amphitheater.
Back in the Roman Empire days, Tarragona's amphitheater was a happening place for all sorts of events.
Tarraco was one of the most important cities in Roman Hispania, for sure. The amphitheater is this cool oval-shaped building that was built towards the end of the 2nd century AD. You'd find it just outside the city walls, super close to the Via Augusta, which was a major road running through the city, right before it went inside the walled area.
It was pretty big, measuring 109.5 by 86.5 meters, and could hold around 14,000 people! It's actually part of Tarraco's whole archaeological site.
Inside, they used to put on all sorts of shows, like those famous gladiator fights, battles with wild animals, and even athletic displays.
Over the years, we, the folks from Tarragona, have hosted all sorts of events in that very same spot. We've had welcome parties for tourists from all over, Roman reenactment festivals, music gigs, and dance shows.
Even today, Tarragona is still one of the Mediterranean's best-kept secrets. It's a unique place, surrounded by old walls and stones that tell their own stories. Here in Tarragona, we're totally used to putting on events; it's just what we do every day! Think 'Diables' (fire runs), 'Castells' (human towers), big festivals, street performances, concerts, and more. It's a city that's always open to the world and has been hosting events for over 2,000 years!
