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La Ciutadella
Located in Calafell (Baix Penedès), the citadel has been reconstructed to provide a true interpretation about the Iberian life.
This Iberian citadel was built about 2,500 years ago at the top of a small hill opposite the lakes at Calafell beach. It was a completely fortified enclosure measuring about 3,000 m² which probably housed some of the heads of lineage of the Cessetans tribe. A whole succession of small settlements or farmhouses spread within a radius of 4 or 5 kilometres were dependent on the citadel. The dwellings were organized around streets which followed a more or less orthogonal pattern while adapting to the irregularities of the terrain.
In 1992, following ten years of excavations, a project, which to date is unique in Spain, was started to reconstruct an archaeological site in situ. With the aim of making it possible for all to see and understand how the pre-Roman inhabitants of Catalonia lived, the ancient dwellings have been rebuilt using experimental archaeological methods. The interiors of the houses have been recreated using replicas of objects recovered during the excavations.
The Iberian Citadel of Calafell is member, since 2007, of the European Network EXARC (European Exchange on Archaeological Research and Communication).
More villages:
- Olèrdola (Baix Penedès)
