History Tarragona

1 history

1.1 demise of romans union of spain
1.2 peninsular war
1.3 spanish civil war

history

inscribed marble base of roman consul tiberius claudius candidus, unearthed in tarragona , in british museum, 195-199 ad.

one catalan legend holds named tarraho, eldest son of tubal in c. 2407 bc; (derived strabo , megasthenes) attributes name tearcon ethiopian , 7th-century bc pharaoh supposedly campaigned in spain. real founding date of tarragona unknown.

the city may have begun iberic town called kesse or kosse, named iberic tribe of region, cossetans, though identification of tarragona kesse not certain. william smith suggests city founded phoenicians, called tarchon, which, according samuel bochart, means citadel. name derived situation on high rock, between 75–90 m (250–300 ft) above sea; whence find characterised arce potens tarraco. seated on river sulcis or tulcis (modern francolí), on bay of mare internum (mediterranean), between pyrenees , river iberus (modern ebro). livy mentions portus tarraconis; , according eratosthenes had naval station or roads (Ναύσταθμον); artemidorus ephesius says more probability had none, , scarcely anchoring place; , strabo himself calls ἀλίμενος. better reflects present condition; though mole constructed in 15th century materials of ancient amphitheatre, , subsequently irishman named john smith sinnot, still affords little protection shipping.

during roman republic, city fortified , enlarged roman colony brothers publius cornelius scipio , gnaeus cornelius scipio calvus, converted fortress , arsenal against carthaginians. city first named colonia iulia urbs triumphalis tarraco , capital of province of hispania citerior. subsequently, became capital of province named after it, hispania tarraconensis, in roman empire , conventus iuridicus.

augustus wintered @ tarraco after cantabrian campaign, , bestowed many marks of honour on city, among honorary titles of colonia victrix togata , colonia julia victrix tarraconensis. tarraco lies on main road along southeastern coast of iberian peninsula.

according mela richest town on coast, , strabo represents population equal of carthago nova (now cartagena). fertile plain , sunny shores celebrated martial , other poets; , neighbourhood described producing wine , flax. city minted coins.

an inscribed stone base lost statue of tiberius claudius candidus found in tarragona during nineteenth century. 24-line latin inscription describes governor , senator s career ally of future roman emperor septimius severus, fought in civil war following assassination of commodus in 192 ad. important marble block purchased british museum in 1994.

from demise of romans union of spain

after demise of western roman empire, captured first vandals , visigoths. visigothic kingdom s rule of tarracona ended umayyad conquest of hispania in 714. important border city of caliphate of córdoba between 750 , 1013. after demise of caliphate, part of taifa of zaragoza between 1013 , 1110 , under control of almoravid dynasty between 1110 , 1117. taken county of barcelona in 1117. after dynastic union of aragon , barcelona, part of kingdom of aragon 1164-1412. after dynastic union of aragon , crown of castile, remained part of aragon until foundation of spanish empire in 1516.

during catalan revolt, tarragon captured catalan insurgents french support in 1641, retaken spanish troops in 1644. captured allied portuguese, dutch, , british troops in 1705 during war of spanish succession , remained in hands until treaty of utrecht in 1713. during war, catalans supported unsuccessful claim of archduke charles, duke of teschen against victorious bourbon duke of anjou, became philip v of spain. signed nueva planta decrees, abolished crown of aragon , remaining catalan institutions , prohibited administrative use of catalan language on 16 january 1716.

peninsular war

during peninsular war, in first siege of tarragona 5 may 29 june 1811, louis-gabriel suchet s army of aragon of first french empire laid siege spanish garrison led lieutenant general juan senen de contreras. british naval squadron commanded admiral edward codrington harassed french besiegers cannon fire , transported large numbers of reinforcements city sea. nevertheless, suchet s troops stormed defenses , killed or captured defenders. became subprefecture center in bouches-de-l Èbre department of french empire.

in second siege of tarragona (3–11 june 1813), overwhelming anglo-spanish force under command of lieutenant general john murray, 8th baronet failed wrest tarragona small franco-italian garrison led brigadier general antoine marc augustin bertoletti. murray subsequently removed command indecisive , contradictory leadership. anglo-spanish forces captured tarragona on 19 august.

spanish civil war

during spanish civil war, tarragona in hands of second spanish republic until captured franco s nationalist troops on 15 january 1939 during catalonia offensive.