The Roman fortress walls and towers of Tarragona are the best preserved ancient Roman fortifications in Spain. At the same time, they are the oldest on the Iberian Peninsula.
Strong fortress walls began to be built around the settlement of Tarraco as soon as Gaius Cornelius Scipio landed with his army in Spain during the Second Punic war with Carthage. Tarraco became the main base of Roman troops, and later the capital of the Roman province of Near Spain.
The Roman fortress walls of Tarragona began to be built in the 2nd century AD. They surrounded the city on the hill that is now called Part Alta, and descended to the Harbor of Tarragona. Their original length reached 3,500 meters, but only 1,100 meters of Roman walls have been preserved in good condition to this day.
First of all, powerful walls were built on the Northern side of the city, opposite from the sea. They have been preserved to this day in excellent condition. Now along them runs the Archaeological promenade (a route along the Roman attractions of Tarragona). Tourists can see here the walls and towers, which are based on megalithic blocks installed in the 2nd century AD without binding solution. The height of the walls reaches 11-12 meters
Three Roman fortress towers have been preserved on this section of the wall. The highest of them is the Archbishop`s tower, which was rebuilt in the middle ages. Opposite it is a sculpture of the Emperor Octavian Augustus. The Tower of the Theologian has almost completely preserved its appearance from Roman times, as well as the Tower of Minerva.
In the Middle Ages, bastions and redoubts were built next to the Roman walls, which were more suitable for protection from artillery. Now you can see here the guns of the 16th and 17th centuries. In this time the Tarragona Bastion defense system was formed. During the siege of the city by Napoleon`s troops in 1811, they were significantly damaged and then lost their defensive function. The medieval walls were dismantled to create space for residential development, but the Roman walls were not dismantled. They were restored and declared a historical monument in 1884.
Of particular interest is the Pretoria Tower, which is located above the ruins of the Roman Circus on the sea side. During the Visigothic Kingdom, from the 4th century, this tower was expanded and served as the Royal castle of the counts of Tarragona. It was also called Pilate`s Castle. Today, inside the tower is a very interesting Museum display of artifacts, sarcophagi and sculptures from the Roman period, found at this site during excavations.
On the second floor you can see the Gothic hall. The height of the tower reaches 22 meters, of which the lower Foundation is 5 meters high from the Roman era. From the observation deck at the top of the Pretoria Tower (Pilate`s Tower), you can enjoy a magnificent view of the old town of Part Alta, the Tarragona Cathedral and the Roman Amphitheater.
