Long overshadowed by Barcelona and ‘booze tourism’ in Salou, this relic-strewn beach town continues its ascent against a backdrop of independence controversy

Tarragona, a coastal city that was once an important Roman capital, is used to all the attention falling on Barcelona. But Catalonia’s quieter southern sister is suddenly in the public eye due to the independence vote, raising its voice despite never being known for a strong nationalist identity.

According to the Catalan government, only 21% of Tarragona’s electorate took part in the referendum for independence that was held on 1 October, with a majority voting Yes. Local pro-independence politician Jordi Martí has argued that, were Barcelona to become a potential new state capital, it shouldn’t act as imperiously as Madrid has: “Decentralisation must also happen at a smaller level.” For now, as in the rest of the region, there remain a lot more questions than answers.

Attracting the ‘perfect tourist’

The city’s economy is mostly driven by the region’s huge petrochemical industry, the biggest in southern Europe, with Tarragona’s port serving as a transport hub. But one additional focus, now, is tourism. Tarragona is not only overshadowed by the bright Catalan capital: the nearby village of Salou, known for its “booze tourism” and crowded beaches, has stolen the limelight, as have the PortAventura theme park and the brand new Ferrari Land.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A crowd gathers in front of the Pavelló Firal d’Amposta centre in Tarragona on 3 October to protest against police actions during the Catalan independence referendum. Photograph: Jaume Sellart/EPA

“We are working to boost a Tarragona brand differentiated from Salou,” says José Luis Martín, the deputy mayor. The city has the perfect ingredients to draw visitors, being the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian peninsula, whose impressive ruins were declared a Unesco world heritage site in 2000. Some relics are hidden in unusual places – for instance, inside rock music bars or restaurants in the Part Alta, the historical centre of the town.

Tarragona also has the huge natural attraction of its coastline. Up to five beaches reachable by intercity bus. The biggest one, Platja Llarga, is a natural beach that was “saved from urban speculation thanks to the social movement of neighbours who stopped it”, Martí says.

Tarragona in numbers …

15 – the percentage of women working inside the petrochemical cluster, the biggest in Spain. It accounts for a quarter of the total Spanish petrochemical production.

11 – the number of Roman constructions recognised by Unesco.

100 – the cost, in millions of euros, of state-of-the-art Mas d’Enric prison, inaugurated in 2015. It features “non-oppressive” exercise spaces, an interior meadow and cell windows that face outwards on to nearby woodland.

… and pictures

Pl. Del Forum . . . #tarragona#Igerstgn#passejantperTGN#igerscatalonia#igerscatalunya#igersspain#ig_europe#igdaily#descubriendoigers#ig_street#ig_today#igmood#clikcat#descobreixcatalunya#catalunyagrafias#total_catalunya#visitspain#unlimitedeurope#ok_streets#movilgrafies#ilovepiques#catalunyagrafies#poblescatalans#imatgescat#streetphotography#huntgram#urbanromantix#streets_vision#kings_alltags#visualsoflife A post shared by Ernest (@ernestp84) on May 21, 2017 at 4:59am PDT

History in 100 words

Tarraco, the city’s ancient name, was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian peninsula. It was founded in 218BC, and its urban planning and design served as a model for many of the empire’s capitals. The city then became part of the Muslim al-Andalus empire for four centuries (713-1129), until it was won back by the Christians. During the Spanish civil war of 1936-39, Tarragona was bombed several times. In the late 60s and early 70s, industrial prosperity arrived with the establishment of companies such as Dow Chemical, Bayer and Repsol in nearby villages.

Tarragona in sound and vision

Bigas Luna, the Catalan film-maker who discovered Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, chose Tarragona for the setting of My Name Is Juani, a 2006 film about a working-class girl who dreams of becoming an actor.

The city has also had its moments of glamour via high-end advertising. Dolce & Gabbana chose its Roman ruins as the background for one of its campaigns …

… while the Catalan beer brand Estrella Damm, whose yearly summer ads have become so long they qualify as short films, made use of the Platja dels Capellans in its latest production, starring Game of Thrones’s Peter Dinklage.

Eco-fitting the city

Between 1960 and ’64, the population of Tarragona experienced a growth of 20%, mainly due to workers from the south of Spain arriving to join the emerging petrochemical industry. With companies such as BASF and Shell Spain established close by, the region is considered the biggest petrochemical industrial complex in southern Europe.

While a matter of pride for some, for others this development has become a problem. In recent years, leaks from the plants have polluted the city’s air, and they may be having a negative impact on public health. There is now a Change.org petition demanding a solution to the “frequent episodes of light, acoustic and atmospheric pollution (bad smells, big flames, black smoke, noise, etc)”.

The industry has responded with projects such as “smell monitoring”. A team from the compound does daily rounds with special devices that measure odours in the air and detect high levels of undesired substances. However, ecological groups are demanding more.

Inside city hall

If the independence situation is complex throughout Catalonia, in Tarragona it has an added twist. Mayor Josep Fèlix Ballesteros, of the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia, had publicly declared his opposition to the referendum and stated that no council-funded spaces should be used for its celebration – a position shared by few mayors in Catalonia.

Police brutality against voters on referendum day shook the municipal government. One of the deputy mayors resigned, claiming the mayor had not condemned the violence strongly enough, and left the city with a minority government. Instability is a concern in the immediate future. Councillor Martín, of the conservative People’s Party of Catalonia, does not think losing one MP will unduly affect the municipality, although he does have some concerns about independence: “Political uncertainty does not help Tarragona’s governance.”

What’s next for the city?

Next up are the Mediterranean Games 2018 – a reboot of the Mediterranean Games 2017, which were delayed due to economic problems but whose logo still graces bar chairs and beers glasses around the city.

As well as exposure, the goal is the “urban transformation of one of the most degraded areas”, says councillor Javier Villamayor, who is in charge of the Mediterranean Games 2018 Commission. The area he is referring to is the Ponent district, where many of the poorest citizens live: existing sports facilities are being transformed into a sports arena with space for 5,000 spectators and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

However, not everybody supports the expenditure. “It is outrageous in a city that is already indebted, and when the Games end they will leave even more debt,” says Councillor Martí, adding that “the grassroots sports of the town continue to be left behind”. He argues that there are a lot of football clubs lacking good facilities, which would benefit greatly from the investment.

Close zoom

For news about the city Diari de Tarragona is the main newspaper, and for slow journalism and investigation Fet a Tarragona is the go-to site.

Do you live in Tarragona? What key facts, figures and cultural highlights have we missed? Share your stories below



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