Cathedral and Diocesan Museum

Dedicated to Saint Tecla, the city's cathedral was built on approximately the same site of what was once the Roman temple. The temple formed a part of the provincial forum, which was the seat of the Tarragona provincial government in the 1st century A.D. and was built around two terraced squares. The upper square (the imperial cult complex) was surrounded by a portico, large portions of which can be seen today in the cloister of the city's cathedral. At one end was a large hall, which has been identified as the cella, or inner sanctuary, of a magnificent temple of the imperial cult. As for the cathedral itself, construction began in the 12th century in the Romanesque style and continued throughout the Gothic period. The building was consecrated in 1331; however, it could not be finished due to the Black Death, which razed the region. The soaring entrance and rose window of its façade are one of the city’s most emblematic images. At the cloister entrance, visitors will also find the Diocesan Museum and spectacular Saint Tecla altarpiece. The cloister’s sculpture work is one of the most pre-eminent examples of Romanesque art in Catalonia and dates back to the turn of the 13th century. As for the Diocesan Museum, special attention should be called to the collections of mediaeval and modern religious art from Tarragona and its diocese, including altarpieces, stone sculptures and wood carvings, goldwork, wrought-iron work, textiles, ceramics, etc.