Walls of Tarragona

In the 2nd century B.C. a great wall was built around Tarraco, delimiting the municipal boundaires. The wall originally ran some 3500 metres. Today approximately 1100 metres remain, bordering presentday Tarragona’s Old Quarter.

The most interesting portion of the surviving walls is to be found along the Passeig Arqueològic, or Archaeological Promenade. There, several perfectly conserved sections can still be seen, revealing the unusual megalithic foundations, as well as two of the original six posterns, or smaller entrances, and a larger gate that was used for vehicular traffic.

Of the three surviving bastions, special attention should be paid to the Archibishop’s Tower, which underwent considerable alterations in the Middle Ages, and the Minerva Tower, which is the site of the oldest Roman sculpture and inscription in the Iberian Peninsula.