The Archaeological Museum of Tarragona one “of the largest archaeological museums in Spain” according to archaeologist Joaquín Ruiz de Arbulo, announces its last phase of renovation work, and plans to reopen in 2026. Created in the 19th century following the merger of two museums – that of the Monuments Commission and that of the Society archaeological site of Tarragona – it reflects the historical importance of the city. Established in the 3rd century BC. BC, Tarragona is in fact the oldest Roman colony on the Iberian Peninsula.
After occupying different locations, the museum was transferred in 1960 to a building designed by the architect Francisco Monravà Soler, located in Plaça del Rei, in the heart of the city. There are notably ceramics, bronzes, glassware, sculptures, as well as the mosaic of Medusa, inspired by the myth of Perseus, dating from the 2nd and 3rd century AD. The building houses on the lower floor a vestige of a Roman wall dating from the 2nd century BC. BC, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, just like the city of Tarragona, the only city in Catalonia to benefit from this distinction.
In 1982, the State, owner of the archaeological museum, transferred its management to the Government of Catalonia. Since 2014, the Cultural Heritage Agency of Catalonia, attached to the Department of Culture, has managed the museum. The renovation work was financed to the tune of 4.4 million euros by the Ministry of Culture. Miquel Orellana and Rubén Las Heras are the architects.
The first phase, which began in 2019, consisted of installing an air conditioning system and improving the insulation of the building, as well as renovating the electrical installations. The second phase, carried out between 2023 and 2024, concerned the renovation of the facades and cornices. Funding of 1.1 million euros was also allocated by Catalonia and the State for the restoration of the works, such as the “Fish Mosaic” and the remains of the underground wall.
Renovated interior of the Archaeological Museum of Tarragona.
The last phase, which concerns the museography and the transfer of the collection, will begin in January 2025. The production of the museography, financed by the Ministry of Culture, is expected to cost 3.7 million euros. According to Mònica Borrell, director of the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona, the new presentation of the exhibition “will bring together all the works of Roman Tarragona. The route will begin with Iberian culture and advance chronologically to the Visigothic period ». The tour will benefit from various audiovisual and interactive resources, as well as new pieces never before exhibited to the public. The exhibition will take place over an area of 2,500 m2.
The modernization of the museum is part of the joint project of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Tarragona town hall aimed at promoting the city’s Roman heritage. Other actions are carried out, notably on the Roman theater and its historic center. If the project took so long, it is partly because of the Covid pandemic, explained the former Minister of Culture of the Catalan government, Natàlia Garriga. The difficulty in reconciling the interests of the Ministry of Culture and the Catalan government also delayed the opening.