EL PRIORAT
The region of El Priorat
is formed by the lands that lie between the mountain ranges of La Llena
and El Montsant to the north; the Sierra de la Argentera and Moles, the
Colldejou and Llabería mountains to the east; and El Montalt and
the Tivissa mountains to the south. The entire region is situated in the
basin of the river Siurana and its main tributaries.
Traditionally it has always
been divided into three sections: the northern section, or Upper Priorat;
the Central Priorat; and the Lower Priorat. The Central Priorat is a slate
area, and a succession of hills and gorges go to make for a most characteristic
landscape. The cultivation of vines is of such importance here that the
name El Priorat has come to be a synonym for wine. The Carthusian of Escaladei
first began this cultivation centuries ago and has become the most important
producer in the region.
The composition of the soil
and the climate help to give the wine its characteristic qualities.
The red table wines, vintage
reds, and full-bodied red and white dessert wines enjoy a prestigious reputation.
Monuments Outside the
City
The legacy of the Romans
can also be found outside Tarragona in the form of several monuments that
are well worth visiting. The Tower of Los Escipiones, for example, stands
beside the ancient Vía Augusta and is a funeral monument dating
from the 1 st c. It was built in three quadrangular sections, each smaller
than the previous one, and on the upper section there are two sculpted
male figures representing funeral gods.
Four kilometres away, at
the side of the Lleida road, there is a magnificent example of Roman engineering.
This is the aqueduct known as El Puente del Diablo, or Devil's Bridge,
which possibly dates from the time of Trajan. It is composed of a series
of double arches and has a length of 217 m. Thanks to its near perfect
state of preservation it is of great architectural importance.
Continuing along the Vía
Augusta some 20 km. from Tarragona we reach the Bará Arch. It is
formed by two solid blocks of stone joined by a semicircular arch. Both
sides are decorated with false fluted columns of the Corinthian order,
and the entire construction dates from the 2nd c.
Just 6 km from Tarragona
lies El Médol quarry from where the stone used by the Romans in
their constructions was extracted. In the centre there is the monolith
known as L'Agulla del Médol.
Close to the village of
Constantí, some 5 km. away, there is another important funeral monument.
This is the Centcelles Mausoleum and dates from the 4th c. The Mausoleum
consists of two square-shaped buildings and the interior is of great artistical
interest because of the mosaics on the vaults. They depict such biblical
scenes as "Daniel in the Lion's Den" and "Jonah and the Whale".
The Roman villa of Els Munts
is located in the town of Altafulla on a hill that slopes gently down towards
the sea. This large villa was inhabited from the middle of the 1st c until
the 5th c. The main rooms were decorated with mosaics and marble, and there
were three sections given over to Roman thermal baths.
The Costa Dorada
For some 212 km, running
along the entire coastline of the province of Tarragona from Cunit as far
as Les Cases d'Alcanar, there is a succession of excellent beaches and
impressive cliffs, along with a beautiful headland covered with pine trees
and a small cove. In the city of Tarragona itself is El Miracle beach,
and a little further north can be found the beaches of L'Arrabassade, Savinosa,
Dels Capellans and Llarga. At the end of the latter stands La Punta de
la Mora which has a 16th-c watchtower. The small towns of Altafulla and
Torredembarra, both complete with castles stand next to these beaches and
are the location of many hotels and urban developments.
Further north again are
the two magnificent beaches of Comarruga and Sant Salvador. The first is
particularly cosmopolitan, while the second is more secluded. Lastly come
the beaches of Calafell, Segur and Cunit, all with modern tourist complexes.
We also find the small towns of Creixell, Sant Vicenç de Calders,
Clará, Calafell and Cunit, which have wooded hills in the background.
Leaving Tarragona in a southerly
direction the coastline takes the form of a wide arc stretching for many
kilometres, and which includes La Pineda beach with its leafy groves. El
Recó beach leads on to the Cape of Salou where, in among its coves,
hills and hidden-away corners, many hotels and residential centres are
located. The natural port of Salou is nowadays a great centre for international
tourism.
Continuing in the direction
of Valencia we next come to Cambrils, a picturesque town with a strong
maritime flavour which has an excellent beach and an important fishing
port. In the background stand the impressive Colldejou and Llaberia mountains.
Further south are the beaches of Mont-roig and L'Hospitalet, as well as
the small town of L'Ametlla de Mar with its small, typical fishing port.
After passing the Balaguer
massif the traveller eventually reaches the delta of the river Ebro, a
wide lowland area covering over 500 km which opens out like a fan into
the sea. This is an area of ricefields, criss-crossed by the branches of
the river Ebro and by an enormous number of irrigation channels. There
are also some lagoons here which, because of their immense size, are ideal
as hunting and fishing grounds. Moreover, there are beaches over several
kilometres in length, and others in small, hidden-away estuaries. Two important
towns in the region are Amposta, located on the river Ebro itself, and
the port of Sant Carles de la Rápita, for which the monarch king
Carlos III cherished great plans.
The Costa Dorada finishes
at its most south-westerly point at the plain of Alcanar, a large area
given over to the cultivation of oranges and other similar crops. Its beaches,
along with the small hamlet of Les Cases d'Alcanar, mark the end of the
Tarragona section of the Costa Dorada.
Cistercian Monasteries
Santa María de
Poblet
The Monastery of Santa María
de Poblet is situated in the area known as La Conca de Barberá,
between Vimbodí and L'Espluga de Francolí, at the foot of
the northern slopes of the Prades mountains. It stands in a beautiful location
where large streams flow, and close to the luxuriant forest of Poblet which,
at one time, belonged to the Monastery itself.
It is an impressive construction
and one of the most important of its kind in Europe. As well as the magnificent
church, undoubtedly an outstanding example of Cistercian art, almost all
the other buildings that were erected as the need arose are still preserved
today. The monks enjoyed the protection of the sovereigns of the "Catalan-Aragonese
Confederation", especially after Pedro IIl "El Ceremonioso" (1336-87) made
the monastery the site of the royal pantheon of the dynasty.
It was built between the
12th and 18th c and has recently been restored.
Santes Creus
The Monastery of Santes
Creus can be found in the area of Alt Camp, in the town of Aiguamurcia.
It stands in a secluded valley near the river Gaiá in a magnificent
location of poplar groves and hazel woods. Where the valley opens out the
scenery becomes typically Mediterranean with fields of almond trees and
vineyards surrounded by olive trees.
The entire construction
is of interest because of its great beauty and size and also its similarity
to the finest examples of Cistercian architecture. It stands on the left
bank of the Gaiá, surrounded by former monastic buildings which,
with the passing of time, have gradually been transformed into dwellings
and now go to form the small town of Santes Creus. Its appearance and history
are clearly on a similar line to those of the Monastery of Poblet, but
there are also some obvious differences. What this monastery lacks in the
size and lavishness of its contemporary is more than compensated for by
the extra brightness that its location affords and by the cosy atmosphere
of its smaller and more elegant rooms.
Its construction began in
the 12th c and was successively added to right up until the 18th c according
to the needs of its occupants |
