David's Diary: Friday, February 15, 2002

The Roman Circus in Tarragona

School has been in full swing aboard Dragonsinger, so we have not explored much of Tarragona until today. Jocelyn has been studying Roman history in social studies and she has been learning about Roman circuses. These were ovals used for chariot races. There were seats for the spectators, underground tunnels where the horses and chariots were lead, and formal sitting areas.

The Romans first occupied Tarragona in 218 BC. The Romans built an extensive town -- Tarragona was effectively the capital of all of Spain. The town included a circus, built within view of the ocean. Not a lot remains of the circus today, but we visited what was left. We walked through underground corridors and climbed up to where a portion of the seating area can still be seen. They are still excavating the site today and finding more 2,000 year-old artefacts. We still find it hard to believe that we get to stand and touch something so old.

Cathedral

To see the circus you enter the Recinto Monumental del Pretorio y Circo Romano (Praetorium and Roman Circus). You enter through a tall tower that has been on the site since 73 AD. Originally used as the political and administrative center for the province, the building subsequently underwent extensive renovations and rebuilding until by the 10C it was used as the King's palace. The building then served military roles, before being turned into a Provincial Prison during the 19C. Today, it is a museum and an elevator whisks you to the top where you have views of all of Tarragona including the cathedral sitting on the top of a hill overlooking the old Roman part of the city.