The ancient Romans extracted the material they needed for their buildings from several local quarries, each offering a different type and quality of stone. The most spectacular of the surviving quarries is the Mèdol Quarry, located approximately 7.5 km outside the city heading toward Barcelona. Many of the walls from which the blocks of stone were extracted are still visible, as are several half-extracted blocks. Of special note is the emblematic Agulla del Mèdol, or Mèdol Spire, a stunning monolith rising to 20 m which bears witness to the pit’s original height. The lush vegetation that has grown up since the quarry fell into disuse has only added to its beauty.

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