An Art City

Tortosa is the historic capital and main commercial hub of a territory with an essentially agrarian economy, closely linked to the land, which has had a profound impact on the city’s magnitude and splendour.

It best explored on foot, since this allows you to uncover the numerous remnants of each historical era. The city has been the birthplace of world-renowned artists; it conserves fascinating architectural sites, remarkable works of art and unique collections.

A walk through its streets and neighbourhoods reveals that the city is not defined by only one exhibition, work of art or artist. It is home to a Cathedral, the Castle, medieval and Renaissance palaces, monasteries, towers and walls, the Market, gateways, fortresses and bastions, shrines and chapels, baths and spas, stately homes and opulent mansions, the Jewish quarter, gravestones and ashlars, and remnants from every era in a seemingly confused mishmash that is beggars belief.

Explore

Routes not to be missed

The Renaissance

From the Royal Colleges to the cathedral, visit the remains of the splendor of the 16th century

The Jewish Quarter

The legacy of the Jewish presence is perceived in the labyrinthine Quarter

The Fortifications

Kilometers of walls, towers, bastions, ravelins, ditches, tongs, powder kegs. A festival for lovers of defensive architecture.

The Modernisme

An unknown modernist set that surprises the visitor.

Hemingway and the civil war

the tragic memory of the city

Its two thousand years of history have lent it an authentic airwith an assortment of styles and trends

As you stroll through the streets, you’ll discover how well the city blends everyday life with buildings, major archaeological remains and works of art. You’ll come across a Baroque façade alongside a Modernist building, medieval remains incorporated into a 21st-century building, and surprising details in the fortifications and walls.

You’ll observe how key buildings have been relocated and no longer stand on their original site (the Llotja [Corn Exchange] and the Oliver de Boteller Palace), while others were created for a specific purpose and now have a different function (the abattoir) and others still fulfil the purpose and function for which they were created (the Municipal Market). You’ll observe the way in which convents, palaces and stately houses blend seamlessly into the urban fabric, despite the fact that the city had been devastated by war, natural disasters and events that caused irrecoverable destruction, as a result of its history and geographic situation.