El circ romà de Tarragona, monument i ciutat = El Circo romano de Tarragona. Monumento y ciudad = The Roman Circus of Tarragona. Monument and city

Abstract

This book is the result of a teaching and research project carried out by members of the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC) and the Technical School of Architecture (ETSA) of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV). Both institutions have joined forces to set up an interdisciplinary working space that provides university teaching and research with their own unique personality. Students and teachers alike have participated in the documentation and analysis of the Roman Circus of Tarragona. With a surface area of four hectares, its omnipresence makes it a heritage reality immanent in a significant part of the contemporary historical centre. Since the 5th century, the Circus has undergone a process of transformation which, from an urbanistic point of view, ended in the 14th century with the city's expansión. Tarraco's Roman Circus is an excellent case study for developing this learning and methodological experimentation strategy. It is the result of 1900 years of history that allows us to understand the appearance of today's city as the result of an involuntary process of urban planning determinism. That is to say, we can identify and understand the medieval, modern or contemporary city by identifying the Circus’ substratum.