"Q. One of the aims of your organization is the preservation of the city´s heritage. What does that entail?
A. Keeping an eye on our heritage, promoting research and disseminating research. Our organization was established in 1844 at a critical moment for our heritage. This was the age of the ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizabal, the construction of the port and the uninterrupted plunder of the port´s quarry. People from across Europe came here to carry off part of our heritage. It was then that a group of local citizens decided to establish an organization whose aim was to defend our history and to set up an archeological museum.
Q. Our forefathers were clearly concerned about the city´s heritage. Do we nowadays still have that same spirit of fighting for our culture?
A. I think so. A sign is the membership of our organization: there are more than 550 members, many of whom young people. Some have joined us out of love for the city, others because they concerned about heritage issues. The big problem is that people lose hope, think that nothing can be done. And it doesn´t have to be that way: we can always fight to try to improve things.
Q. Your organization is often critical of the role of public institutions. Just by looking at your website (www.arqueologica.org), one can find a whole catalogue of complaints...and not just one or two.
A. Correct. Someone has to play this role and that´s why we are here. Irrespective of our politicians´ political orientation, our organization will denounce whatever we think causes harm to our heritage. Of course, being critical in the good sense of the word: nobody has a monopoly on the truth. So, what we provide is constructive criticism.
A CITY WITHOUT AN ARCHEOLOGICAL PROTECTION PLAN
Q. Does the fact that there is a long list of criticisms mean that things are not being done well?
A. Absolutely. Since 1993, when the Catalan government introduced the Heritage Law (Llei de Patrimoni), cities which are recognized as heritage sites are under an obligation to develop an archeological protection plan, something which the city council has never been willing to do. Such a plan is absolutely essential in order to lay down the basic guidelines and for everyone to know what rules to follow. An entirely unlogical situation is that builders are responsible for the cost of the archeological excavations on building sites. It is the builder himself who pays the archeologists.
An archeological protection plan would lay down the overall guidelines and uniformize the criteria. The administrative work would be optimalized and would even be more cost-effective, something very important at a time when resources are squeezed and are having to be allocated to other essential services like health, education... The city council tries to sell us other products such as a Development Plan for the Parte Alta...but don´t be fooled: they are no archeological protection plan.
Q. Why do you think heritage issues are always so controversial?
A. There is a dichotomy between the future and the preservation of the past and there is no reason why that should be so. They are not incompatible. We don´t seem to be able to appreciate the true greatness of the historical legacy of our city.
Q. Has there been any councillor with responsibility in this field who had this spirit of preservation and promotion of the city´s historical legacy?
A. No, never. All of them have clung to that false dichotomy, believing that heritage is an obstacle to development. One of them had even been a member of the Archeological Society. The aim should be to convert the historical remnants that we have into a monumental complex.
SEVEN ARCADES OF THE FACADE OF THE ROMAN CIRCUS DISMANTLED TO MAKE WAY FOR A CINEMA
Q. What kind of outrageous things have happened to the city´s heritage?
A. I´ll give you a few examples. I could talk about a well-known cinema which up to some years ago existed on the Rambla Vella. To build the cinema, seven arcades of the facade of the circus were dismantled. The Royal Archeological Society denounced this but we were told that there was no way to go against the decision because the cinema was very important to the growth of the city. Priority was given to a cinema - which has only lasted 20 years (and has since been turned into an English pub)- over a 2000-year old legacy.
Another case is Eroski (the location of an Early Christian basilica): the site could have been left intact if the mall had been constructed just five metres further. Instead the finds were removed and replanted somewhere else. What was most important, the connection with the Early Christian Necropolis, was lost.
And let´s not forget the famous monumental fountain found in Carrer Eivissa, a unique piece in the Iberian peninsula. It wasn´t destroyed but now it lies underneath a house. What are we playing at?
Q. At the present time, which renovation works are you most concerned about?
A. The aqueduct (Pont del Diable); the restoration of the Roman walls and its patrol path. We also want the underground tunnel of the circus - which attracts most of our visitors - back in condition: it has been closed recently due to a problem with the sewers and now it´s closed again due to leakages.
WE WANT THE TABACALERA TO BECOME A LITTLE LOUVRE
Q. We have talked about current renovation works. Now, are there any other deficiencies heritagewise?
A. Tarragona ought to have a City History Museum. The current archeological museum should move to the Tabacalera building. Take into consideration that 30% of the Tabacalera complex is built on top of the Necropolis. We are in favour of the idea of building a small Louvre on that site rather than just using the Tabacalera for exhibitions. All of the archeological finds which are now kept in different storage rooms - because of lack of exhibition space - should be on display there. One could even reconstruct the Roman theatre at the Tabacalera. The Praetorian Tower can then be used to house the City History Museum, with displays of the different epochs of our city. We have done something great with our folkloric history: every child knows about our festivals and folk traditions, but if you ask them about the War of Independence against Napoleon, the significance of the wine industry or the medieval period, there is little they know. We have to explain to them the period of the Enlightenment, the construction of the port and what it meant for the city. We cannot loose our identity."
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