This Summer, Heritage in Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l'Ebre

Enjoy live music in centuries-old monasteries, a family treasure hunt in a medieval castle, or discover secrets of the past through a dramatized tour. These are just some of the offerings of the Este Verano, Patrimonieja program, which transforms the cultural heritage of Camp de Tarragona and Terres de l'Ebre into a lively, participatory, and surprising setting.

The program, promoted by the Department of Culture, offers hundreds of recreational activities throughout Catalonia for all audiences, many of which are free. The goal: to bring heritage to everyone through artistic experiences and themed tours with exceptional locations such as castles, monasteries, museums, and archaeological sites. The full program can be found at this link. link from the agenda of activities on the Cultural Heritage portal of the Generalitat.

Concerts in the heritage

One of the highlights of the This Summer, Heritage initiative is the Jordi Savall Festival, which will stop at the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus, in Alt Camp. Enjoying ancient music, immersed in a jewel of medieval art, ensures a very special evening. The event, founded by the renowned performer and director who gives it its name, will take place from August 11 to 17 in various venues along the Cistercian Route, such as Montblanc, Valls, and Alcover.

Miravet Castle, majestic above the Ebro, also comes to life with the family workshop "A treasure, three cultures at Miravet Castle", a true journey back to the Middle Ages. The activity will take place on August 16 and 30. Participants are invited to solve puzzles and explore the imposing Templar fortress to discover hidden treasure.

Roman Tarragona

On the other hand, the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona is joining the activities to relive the city's Roman past. guided tours of the Mèdol quarry, from where the stones with which Tarraco was built were extracted; and guided tours of the Roman theater, to discover how people entertained themselves 2,000 years ago. Not far away, in Altafulla, the owners of the Roman villa of the Munts They open the doors of their home so you can enter the luxurious life of the 2nd century. The dramatized tour takes place on Saturday nights, with the blue Mediterranean as a backdrop.

Inside Camp de Tarragona, the program also highlights characters and spaces that preserve the living memory of other eras. This is the case of "Quiteria, Escornalbou's maid", a dramatized tour that can be experienced on August 24 at the Escornalbou Castle-Monastery in Baix Camp. The protagonist, a very funny maid, guides visitors through the corners of the house with humor and complicity, transporting them to the world of the Catalan bourgeoisie of the early 20th century.

In Priorat, the Charterhouse of Escaladei offers a more contemplative but equally striking experience. Located at the foot of the Montsant mountain range, this former Carthusian monastery preserves the essence of spiritual contemplation. Strolling through it is a sensorial experience, surrounded by architecture, nature, and silence. Additionally, the "Eyes of History: An Immersive Look at Catalan Cultural Heritage" experience allows you to explore the monument through new narratives and virtual reality.

Major festivals in heritage sites

Throughout Catalonia, you can enjoy activities that open up the heritage to the public through artistic offerings and themed tours that show these places steeped in history from different perspectives. In this sense, this summer, Patrimonieja is betting on major Catalan musical events. One of the most established is the Schubertiad, in the Alt Empordà, which will once again fill the Canonica de Santa María de Vilabertran with classical music from August 16th.

This year, the festival pays tribute to the centenary of the birth of baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose line-up includes Matthias Goerne, Florian Boesch, Andrè Schuen and Samuel Hasselhorn. A few kilometres away, another notable initiative is the San Pedro de Rodas Music Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary with the premiere of the work The crypt and a final opera gala on August 30. Also in Empordà, the Portalblau Festival has scheduled six concerts for August at the Roman Forum in Empúries, with artists such as Pau Vallvé, Nora Baylach, and the duo Cala Vento.

Aside from concerts, workshops, games, and treasure hunts are planned at historical monuments such as the Iberian city of Ullastret and Cardona Castle, as well as creative activities at the Girona Art Museum and the MAC Barcelona, for example. In the Este Verano (This Summer, Heritage) program, monuments cease to be silent stages to become the protagonists of a program that combines culture, leisure, and participation.