Torre dels Escipions is a funerary tower built by the Romans on the outskirts of

Tarraco Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). It was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula. It became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior during the period of the Roman Republi ...

, ancient

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

city that corresponds to the present city of

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarr ...

(

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

). The Torre dels Escipions is one of the elements of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, declared a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

, the tower being identified with the code 875-010.

History

It was built during the 1st century AD, six kilometers from the city of Tarraco, capital of the Hispania Citerior, in the course of the

Via Augusta The ''Via Augusta'' (also known as the ''Via Herculea'' or ''Via Exterior'') was the longest and busiest of the major roads built by the Romans in ancient Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). According to historian Pierre Sillières, who has super ...

, the Roman road that crossed the entire peninsula from the Pyrenees to Gades ( Cadiz) and is one of the most important funerary monuments of the Roman era that still remains in the Iberian Peninsula.

Architectural features

Is a Turriform monument with three floors superimposed on a declining basis. It is built with rectangular blocks. In the intermediate body are two reliefs of the god of Phrygian

Attis Attis (; grc-gre, Ἄττις, also , , ) was the consort of Cybele, in Phrygian and Greek mythology. His priests were eunuchs, the ''Galli'', as explained by origin myths pertaining to Attis castrating himself. Attis was also a Phrygian v ...

deity of death and resurrection, son of Pessinunte and also on the same level there is a burial chamber that housed the furnishings of the deceased; at the base measures 4.40 x 4.70 m..

Trivia

Its name comes from a misidentification of the two reliefs of the god

, who for years were identified as those of Scipio brothers ( Publius and Gnaeus).

History

Architectural features

Trivia

See also