Arc de Berà

Arc de Berà
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official nameTriumphal Arch of Berá
LocationRoda de Berà, Spain
Part ofArchaeological Ensemble of Tárraco
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iii)
Reference875-014
Inscription2000 (24th Session)
Area0.01 ha (1,100 sq ft)
Coordinates41°10′22.90″N 1°28′7.30″E / 41.1730278°N 1.4686944°E / 41.1730278; 1.4686944
Arc de Berà is located in Spain
Arc de Berà
Location of Arc de Berà in Spain

The Arc de Berà (sometimes erroneously written Barà) is a triumphal arch some 20 km north-east of the city of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, close to Roda de Berà. This monument is part of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, which was added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 2000. It stands on the line of what was the Via Augusta, now the N-340 road.[1]

Arc de Berà, Tarragona, Spain, photograph by Juan Laurent, 1866–1867, Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC

Its name derives from the count Berà. It is a triumphal arch with a single opening consisting of a central body on a podium, decorated with fluted pilasters crowned by Corinthian capitals.[2] The upper part of the construction is an entablature made up of architrave, frieze and cornice. The stone used is probably from a local quarry.

The monument was built as a result of the will of Lucius Licinius Sura and it was erected in the reign of Augustus, around 13 BCE. The surviving inscription reads: “Ex testamento L(uci) Licini L(uci) f(ilii) Serg (ia tribu) Surae consa[...]”. It is thought it was dedicated to Augustus or to his genius, and that it marked the limit of the district of Tarraco.

References

  1. ^ "Arc de Ber?". Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  2. ^ "Tarragona". www.tinet.cat. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2022.


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