The tomb of King Jaume I

Lluís Domènech i Montaner used the symbolism of a single vessel to house the remains of King Jaume I. This is not just any vessel; it is an eminently beautiful and luxurious one of porphyry adorned with mosaic. The tomb is escorted by two sculptures, an angel at the stern and a female figure at the prow, carrying the King from earthbound to spiritual life. In front of the tomb is a canopy supported by four cylindrical columns on each side topped off with pinnacles; their base is fragile and rests on the waves on which the royal vessel advances. Through the sculptural and mosaic work from the base on which the tomb rests to the interior of the canopy, Domènech i Montaner made the symbols that characterized King Jaume I very clear: his crowns and his coats of arms that spoke of his conquests and his realms. Although the Monuments Commission of Tarragona commissioned the tomb in 1906, the work was not actually installed in its final resting place until 1992 after the best placement had been identified.

Pati in the Tarragona City Hall - Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am - 8 pm