The Circ Romà is the Roman circus of Tarraco, the chariot-racing track that ran along the edge of Tarragona's upper old town, just above the Rambla Vella. It held an estimated 30,000 spectators, and a surprising amount of it survives: the city simply built on top of it, so its stone vaults now hold shops, restaurants and even a bank branch.
The Roman Circus at a glance
- Where: in the Part Alta, Tarragona's old town, between the Rambla Vella and the Plaça del Rei. The visitor entrance is on the Rambla Vella.
- Built: in the late 1st century AD, probably under the emperor Domitian; races were held here until the 5th century.
- What it is today: part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000, visited together with the Praetorium tower as one site of the Tarragona History Museum (MHT).
- Time needed: 45 minutes to an hour for the circus vaults and the Praetorium, including the climb to the roof.
From chariot races to a royal castle and a prison
Tarraco was the capital of the large Roman province of Hispania Citerior. In the second half of the 1st century AD its upper town was turned into a huge complex on terraces for the provincial council: a sacred precinct at the top, a vast square (the provincial forum) below it, and the circus at the bottom. Unusually, the circus lay inside the city walls, between the forum and the Via Augusta. It measured about 325 by 115 metres, and its races were run by four-horse chariots (quadrigae) that did seven laps around a central barrier, the spina. Crashes were common.
After the races stopped in the 5th century the circus was abandoned, and over the following centuries houses were built into and over its stands. That is why it survived: the barrel vaults that held up the seats became cellars, workshops and later shops, and most of the structure is still hidden under buildings, many of them from the 19th century. The Roman tower at its corner, the Praetorium (Pretori), became a palace for the kings of the Crown of Aragon in the 12th century, known as the Castell del Rei. It was later a barracks, was badly damaged when French troops withdrew in 1813, and after being rebuilt became the provincial prison.
What to look for
- The vaulted corridors: walk through the long barrel vaults that carried the seating. Their size gives you a sense of how many people packed the stands above.
- The stonework: Roman builders used large ashlar blocks on the façades and concrete for the vaults. Look for the line where Roman masonry stops and medieval or modern walls begin.
- The Praetorium roof: climb the tower to its flat roof for a view over the line of the circus, the cathedral and the Mediterranean.
- The medieval room: one room on the upper floor of the tower is entirely medieval, from the centuries when the building was a royal residence.
- The Hippolytus sarcophagus: a 3rd-century Roman marble sarcophagus showing the myth of Hippolytus and Phaedra, displayed in a vaulted room of the Praetorium. It is considered the finest pagan sarcophagus found in Tarragona.
- Vaults in everyday use: as you walk the surrounding streets, look inside cafés and restaurants. Several of them, a nightclub and a bank branch occupy former circus vaults.
The prison called Pilats
For about a century the Praetorium was the provincial prison, known in the city simply as Pilats. During and after the Spanish Civil War it was badly overcrowded: in 1939 it held up to 1,361 prisoners at once, and between 1939 and 1945 more than 650 people sentenced to death left it to be executed at the Turó de l'Oliva. It stopped being a prison in 1953, when a new one opened, and it later became part of the city's museums.
Tips for your visit
- Go early in the day: the vaults stay cool, and the roof of the Praetorium is far more pleasant before the midday sun.
- Buy a combined ticket if you plan to see more Roman sites: the circus, the amphitheatre and other MHT sites can be visited on one pass.
- Watch your step: the floors in the vaults are uneven in places and the stairs in the tower are steep.
- Combine it with a walk along the Rambla Vella, which follows the line of the circus, and then go down to the amphitheatre by the sea.
Nearby
- Tarragona Amphitheatre: the Roman arena by the sea, a short walk downhill, where gladiator games were held and early Christian martyrs were executed.
- Tarragona Cathedral: the Romanesque and Gothic cathedral at the top of the old town, built where the sacred precinct of the provincial complex once stood.
- Balcó del Mediterrani: the viewpoint at the sea end of the Rambla Nova, with views over the amphitheatre and the coast.
- Monument als Castellers: the bronze human tower on the Rambla Nova, a tribute to Catalonia's tradition of building human towers.
See Tarragona with World City Trail
Our Tarragona scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 32 minutes of walking. The Roman circus is not one of the stops, but the route includes the Monument als Castellers and the Mercat Central. You can play in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Tarragona.
Play the Tarragona scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Tarragona →
Play the outdoor escape game in Tarragona →
Facts checked in October 2026.