In the basement of a block of flats in Tarragona is hidden one of the most impressive archaeological finds of recent years: a monumental Roman fountain 17 meters long. It emerged in 1998 when work on the building began, the archaeological excavation was carried out and, following the instructions of the Generalitat’s heritage commission, the Roman fountain was once again covered with gravel while above it he erected a building without a garage. And so until today. After years of failed negotiations, its owner – the builder of the block – has decided to create a private non-profit foundation with the aim of turning the fountain into a museum and being able to show it to the public.
“I am ashamed to note the inaction of Tarragona, in another place this situation would be unthinkable”, says Joan Ramon Martorell. The monumental fountain, with spouts sculpted in the shape of a lion, was built in the second century BC. and used for a long time, until the 8th century. According to experts, its value and patrimonial interest is indisputable. Negotiations with the City Council and also over the years with the Port Authority, since the building is very close to the Serrallo (on Carrer Pere Martell), have so far failed.
“I never wanted to make money with the fountain, but I didn’t want to lose it either,” maintains its owner. The purchase price was estimated at 2.4 million, a figure that included the price of the last appraisal of the source – requested by the City Council – and the additional costs incurred by the successive modifications of the project because the structure of the building does not damage the monument and facilitate its future museumization. Neither the sale option, nor the possibility of a land swap, raised in 2016 when Josep Fèlix Ballesteros was mayor, came to fruition.
Martorell is now proposing the creation of a foundation so that, in a framework of public-private collaboration, the source can finally be excavated and shown to the public. The foundation will be called Mac-Obama and it is planned to formalize it this month. “It will be a way to solve the problem and it is a great opportunity for all parties”, affirms Martorell. The contribution of the Administration is to be determined, but Martorell expects that both the City Council and the Generalitat will be involved as patrons, as well as other entities, such as the port, and representatives of other institutions, such as the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) or the Catalan Institute of Classical Archeology (ICAC). “Their participation can be very beneficial for the achievement of the foundation’s objectives”, maintains Martorell.
The objectives are, first of all, the dissemination and study of the fountain of lions in order to turn it into a museum and open it to the public in the future. Secondary objectives will also include the dissemination and archaeological research or the promotion and collaboration in cultural and scientific activities. “For the patrons, the foundation will bring them prestige and social image, and for the Administration, it will facilitate the opening of the monument to the public, the co-financing of the management, more agility in the procedures and the possibility of opting for subsidies ”, argues Martorell. The meetings and negotiations that took place while Ballesteros (PSC) was mayor were reduced to the minimum expression during the previous mandate of Pau Ricomà (ERC) and have been reactivated with the current mayor, Rubén Viñuales (PSC ). Contact with the previous and current president of the port has also been maintained over the last few months.
