Tarragona Amphitheatre

Tarragona Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the city of Tarragona, in the Catalonia region of north-east Spain. It was built in the 2nd century AD, sited close to the forum of this provincial capital. The amphitheatre could house up to 15,000 spectators, and measured 130 x 102 m. It was built at the end of 1st century BC and the start of 2nd century BC, down from the walls and facing the sea. There are remains of a large inscription dating to the reign of Elagabalus (3rd century AD) and located in the podium. In 259, during the persecutions against the Christian ordere by Emperor Valerian, here were burnt alive the city's bishop, Fructuous, and his deacons, Augurius and Eulogius. After Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the amphitheatre lost its original functions. The following years part of the edifice's stones were used to build a basilica to commemorate the three martyrs. Tombs were excavated in the arena and funerary mausoleums were annexed to the church. The Islamic invasion of Spain started a period of abandon of the area, which lasted until the 12th century, when a church was built over the remains of the Visigothic church, in Romanesque style. This was demolished in 1915. In 1576, it became the convent for the order of the Trinity until 1780 when it became a prison for prisoners who were constructing the port. After closing the prison, it was abandoned up to fifties of the 20th century when work was started to recuperate the theatre from the donations made by the Bryant foundation.

Source of description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarragona_Amphitheatre wikipedia

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Price definition of price gratis
UNESCO 875
Geographical coordinates 41.1148702, 1.2591070
Address 43003 Tarragona, Escales del Miracle

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