Late Roman Complex of Centcelles
The part of the complex open to visitors corresponds to a majestic building built between the 4th and 5th centuries, four kilometres from Tarragona on the banks of the River Francolí and on the road called the Via de Italia in Hispanias. The central room is topped with a dome decorated in a magnificent mosaic arranged in concentric bands depicting hunting images, scenes from the Old and New Testaments and enthroned figures, among others. In terms of Christian motifs, the representations of Bible stories are particularly outstanding and include images of Adam and Eve, Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, the prophet Jonas, the three young men of Babylon, the prophet Daniel, Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd and the resurrection of Lazarus. Although the chronology and the function of the building remains a matter of debate, the magnificence of the project, the technique employed and the iconography used suggest that whoever commissioned the work must have been a high-ranking figure with firm Christian beliefs. This complex is undeniably one of the most outstanding testimonies to the art of the first centuries of Christianity.