10 years of heritage at the ARA 'Camp de Tarragona'

You can't imagine, dear readers, how much we want to celebrate here. Celebrating ten years of a newspaper in Catalonia is already an achievement; doing so in the Camp de Tarragona region, even more so. And if we add the opportunity to write about heritage—both tangible and intangible—from here and for this territory… well, that's definitely worth popping the champagne and cracking open the cookie jar!

In these last ten years, our publication has seen it all: thefts and looting, the recovery of artifacts, new museums, name changes, construction projects, the restoration of spaces, discoveries of international significance, World Heritage designations… A long list to celebrate, reflect upon, and, also, to grieve over.

From here, we deeply felt the declarations of dry stone walling and the manual ringing of bells as elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Two milestones that add to those of the Castells –fifteen years ago– and the dedication to the Mediterranean Diet, testify to the richness of the popular culture of the Camp and Terres de l'Ebre.

Underground, we have also had great surprises. Important archaeological sites have been detected and confirmed in Espluga de Francolí, Valls, Salou, Cambrils, the Gaià area, Vimbodí, Batea, Tortosa, and even in the capital of the empire. Many of these finds will still require time to determine their significance, but each piece discovered helps us decipher a little more of our past.

As for facilities, we have witnessed the opening of top-level centers, such as the Vila-seca Castle or Mas Miró; the renovation of the Port Museum of Tarragona; the presentation of the revitalized Valls Museum and the Casteller Museum; The Lo Pati Center in Amposta; the comprehensive exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona; the additions and renovations to the Tarragona Cathedral complex and its surroundings; the works at the Pau Casals Museum in El Vendrell… A long list that we could continue to expand. This task is complemented by the Network of Museums of the Tarragona and Terres de l'Ebre regions, as well as the various thematic networks that dot our area with interconnected spaces.

Celebrations—like ours—have also been a powerful tool for raising awareness of the legacy of the past. The upcoming Gaudí Year culminates commemorations dedicated to Jujol, the parish priest of Vallfogona, Fortuny, Montserrat Abelló, Ferrater, Perucho, Palau Ferré, Domènech i Montaner, Margarita de Prades… and the need to enforce the law against the crimes committed against him that we have suffered in our territory. Not only the newsworthy looting of archaeological sites, but also the destruction of buildings and even their disappearance. One only needs to glance at our newspaper archives or the Hispania Nostra red list of endangered heritage to confirm this.

The Camp and the Ebro – the land and the river – form a unique heritage ensemble in the Mediterranean. Our home, and we with it, are custodians of an exceptional legacy that we must protect, maintain, and, above all, explain. Not only to those who visit us, but also to ourselves.

Heritage makes us who we are. Let's celebrate it!