Plaza De La Font and the Palau Municipal building

After following the art Nouveau route in Reus, in the afternoon I returned to Tarragona, and after having lunch, I went to explore the historical center of the city.The Plaza De La Font (on the map) occupies the fourth part of the arena of the ancient Roman circus. After the collapse of the great Empire, the structure was abandoned and for many centuries turned into ruins, and the stone from its walls was used as a building material. By the beginning of the second Millennium, the monumental structure was a sad sight, the arena was used for walking livestock and received the nickname "Corral" (el Corall).

The square was formed by the 14th century, in the middle ages, fairs and city festivals were held here. In the area of the square there was a Dominican, later a Franciscan monastery. In 1363, by order of the Archbishop, a well was dug here, and in 1438, an artesian well was drilled, and the area became the main source of urban water supply. In 1827, under the direction of the master Pere Anton Verderol, a fountain was built over the well, decorated with a statue of mercury made By Vicenç Roig. Of since the area carries its current name.

In 1839, the city architect Josep Oriol presented a project according to which there is a current layout of the square and its surrounding streets. In 1894, a large-scale reconstruction began, as a result of which several interesting buildings appeared on the square. In the same period, the fountain was replaced by a cast-iron column-a source connected to the city's water supply.

Now the place de La Font is the center of the city's nightlife, with many restaurants, cafes and bars located in buildings around its perimeter. Under the square there is a large Parking lot, the construction of which caused a lot of protests. The public expressed concern that the remains of ancient Roman foundations would be destroyed.

The South side of the square is occupied by the neoclassical city hall (Palau Municipal on the map). In the 13th century, a Franciscan monastery appeared on this site, in the beginning of the 14th century, the residence of king Jaime II of Aragon settled here. Then the building passed into the possession of the Dominican order, who in 1693 began the construction of a new monastery, which was completed by 1700. However, the monks did not have long to enjoy a quiet life - during the War of the Spanish succession, king Philip V (Felipe V) arranged an army barracks in the monastery. A century later, the monastery again suffered, already from the army of Napoleon. The city was captured by the French in 1811, and the monastery was set on fire by them during their retreat two years later. After the war, the monastery was restored, but in 1830 the bourgeois revolution broke out, one of the results of which was the confiscation of the monastery's possessions. The monastery was taken over by the city in 1838, and in 1861-1865 the building was rebuilt in neoclassical style by architects Francesc Barba and Francesco Rossell (Francesc Barba, Francesc Rossell).

The facade is decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs of famous citizens of Tarragona, Dating back to Roman times, by the sculptor Bernat Verderol i Roig.

Actually, from the square begins the Old, or Upper city, where the side streets lead.

The remains of the foundations of the Roman circus can be seen in the nearby Sedassos square (Plaça dels Sedassos on the map).

Next to the ruins is the work of the famous master of wall paintings Carles Arola (Carles Arola) - painting a blank wall in the form of a typical facade of a Tarragona house of the 19th century. On the balconies, residents are depicted in costumes worn on the occasion of city holidays - commoners of different classes, an army captain with a baton, and a harlequin. The artist did not forget to depict his family - himself at work and his wife watering flowers. The work was completed by Arol in 1995. Among his other works-the design of a temporary pavilion of the city market.