About Tarragona, Spain:
Tarragona, once known as Tarraco in Roman times, is one of the oldest Roman settlements on the Iberian Peninsula. Catholicis came early to Tarragona: tradition tells us that it was visited by St. Paul in the 1st century AD, as he expressed intent to preach in Spain (Romans 15:24, 28). By 259 AD, the martyrdom of Bishop Fructuosus and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius under Emperor Valerian cemented Tarragona’s status as a key Christian center. Their execution in the amphitheater, followed by the rapid spread of Christianity, marked it as a spiritual landmark in Hispania.
After Constantine’s legalization of Christianity in 313 AD, Tarragona’s church grew. It sent representatives to the Council of Arles in 314, and by the 5th century, it was a metropolitan see. The Visigothic period (5th to 8th centuries) saw continued prominence, with bishops like Archbishop John convening the first provincial council in 516. The Muslim invasion in 719 disrupted this, destroying much of the city and shifting ecclesiastical authority temporarily to Narbonne.
Tarragona’s Catholic resurgence came with the Reconquista. In 1116, Count Ramón Berenguer III reconquered the city, and in 1118, Pope Gelasius II reestablished the Archdiocese of Tarragona, granting it metropolitan status over Catalonia’s dioceses. Archbishop Olegarius (1116–1137) revitalized the church, rebuilding a depopulated city. Construction of the Tarragona Cathedral began in 1171 atop a Roman temple, Visigothic church, and Moorish mosque, blending Romanesque and Gothic styles. Consecrated in 1331, it remains a symbol of this revival.
Its annual festivals, like Santa Tecla, blend faith and tradition, drawing on its deep Catholic roots.
Catholic places of interest in Tarragona, Spain:
Traveling to Tarragona, Spain:
Tarragona is on the Mediterranean, 60 miles west of Barcelona,which makes it a great seaside destination without the immense crowds that you will find in Barcelona.
The city has two train stations: Estación de Tarragona in the south of the city, close to the port, and Estación Camp de Tarragona, approximately 11 km north of the city, between the towns of Perafort and La Secuita.
The nearest major airport is Reus Airport (REU). This airport has international and domestic flights and is five miles from the center of Tarragona.
Another major airport would be Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN / LEBL) but is much farther.