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Pedrera del Mèdol

The Pedrera del Mèdol is the quarry from which the Romans took a good part of the stone used to build Tarraco. It was worked from at least the 1st century AD, and it is estimated that some 150,000 cubic metres of yellowish Miocene limestone, the so-called Mèdol stone, came out of it, used in the walls, the provincial forum and the amphitheatre. It lies on the outskirts of the city, next to the AP-7 service area of the same name. Its most recognisable feature is the "needle": a monolith of unquarried rock, about 20 metres high, which the quarrymen left in the middle of the pit as a witness to what had been extracted. Half-cut blocks have been found at its base. On the walls there are still extraction marks, niches and small chapels dedicated to deities. The microclimate at the bottom is home to mastic trees, olive trees and other Mediterranean vegetation, as well as birds and insects. It is part of the archaeological ensemble of Tarraco, a World Heritage Site, and since 2025 it has been managed by the Museu Nacional Arqueològic de Tarragona.

Things to do at Pedrera del Mèdol: 3 missions

• Spot the Mediterranean vegetation along the edgeAs you walk round the perimeter, look for mastic trees and olive trees among the rock and see whether you can spot birds or insects making use of the quarry's microclimate.
• Find the stone needle in the middle of the quarryFrom the path along the outer edge, look for the monolith of about 20 metres that the Romans left uncut and notice how it stands out above the pit.
• Look for the extraction marks on the wallsWalk along the edge and look at the yellowish stone walls: pick out the cuts and marks left by the Roman quarrymen and, if you can make them out, the niches and chapels to deities.

Near Pedrera del Mèdol

Source: Web oficial - MNAT, Pedrera del Mèdol