The Roman tower

This polygonal-floored tower, which formed the northern corner of the Roman colony, still preserves its upper part consisting of small-bond brickwork and Romanesque windows.

A biforate Romanesque window was added during the 12th century or start of the 13th century.

The walled enclosure preserved up to the present day (with additions during the Middle Ages and subsequent reconstructions) was built between 270 and 310 A.D. by the magistrate C. Coelius - probably on the remains of a previous wall - to fortify the urban settlement of the Colonia Iulia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino, a Roman city of some 10 hectares in area, founded in the year 15 B.C. during the time of the Emperor Augustus.

The wall’s octagonally-shaped perimeter was 1,270 metres long and contained a fortress facing the sea.

Stretches of the wall were usually reinforced by rectangular-floored towers, the exceptions being the corner towers and the towers flanking the entrances to the city, which had polygonal or circular floors.

The position of the city gates and the archeological remains which have been found indicate that the interior of the enclosure was organized in the manner of the castrum:

• A long central thoroughfare, Decumanus maximus, 825m in length, crossing the city from the Porta Praetoria (now Portal del Bisbe), and passing the modern-day Carrer del Bisbe, Carrer de la Ciutat and Carrer del Regomir to the Porta Decumana (Carrer del Regomir).

• Another central thoroughfare, perpendicular to the previous one, Cardo maximo, 550m in length, which joins the Porta Principalis Sinistra (Pl. de l'Àngel) and the Porta Principalis Dextra (which used to be between Carrer de Ferran and Carrer del Call) passing through Carrer de la Llibreteria and Carrer del Call.

• A number of secondary roads, Decumani minores running parallel to the Decumanus maximus, (now Carrer dels Gegants, Passeig de l'Ensenyança and Carrer de Sant Domenech del Call).

• Further secondary roads, Cardines minores, which, following the scheme, run parallel to the Cardo maximo - as do the present-day Carrer de Sant Sever, Baixada de Santa Clara, Carrer de la Pietat, Carrer del Bisbe Caçador, Carrer de la Font de Sant Miquel and Baixada de Sant Miquel.

• These street-bounded spaces became the location for private buildings domuses (houses) as well as public buildings such as the termae (public baths), the forum, the temple etc.

The wall retained its function until the 13th century, when King Jaume I allowed sections of it to be opened, to support new constructions.