The event “A Day in Tarraco” successfully consolidates its position in the lineup of the Tarraco Viva Festival, with a series of activities aimed at high school students organized by the Association of Classics Teachers of Catalonia (APLEC). 

On Friday, May 19th, the event “A Day in Tarraco” hosted the ceremony for the 12th edition of the Odissea Awards, a classical culture contest celebrated throughout Spain and coordinated in Catalonia by the APLEC Association (Association of Classical Languages Teachers of Catalonia). In this edition, the contest had the participation of 473 groups from Catalonia, totaling over 1,000 students from the second cycle of ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education) and baccalaureate.

The Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC) is one of the sponsors of the contest, along with the Catalan Section of the SEEC (Spanish Society of Classical Studies), the Catalan Society of Classical Studies of the IEC, the Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia (MAC), and the Iberia Graeca Center. The contest also has the collaboration of La Casa dels Clàssics, the Revista Auriga, the ICE of the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona), the Department of Education of the Government of Catalonia, and the Editorial Casals. The event was presided over by Jordi Giramé and Magí Seritjol from the Tarraco Viva Festival; Xavier Yáñez, head of the Secondary and Baccalaureate Curriculum Service of the Government of Catalonia; Txell Blay and Xavi Tresserra, from the APLEC Association; and Josep Maria Palet, director of the ICAC. 

Magí Seritjol, director of the Tarraco Viva Festival, addressed the attendees and encouraged them to be captivated by the classical world, the legacy of Roman culture in Tarraco, and the value of humanities. He also expressed gratitude for the support of high school teachers to the project ‘A Day in Tarraco’, which, in its second edition, surpassed the attendance success of the pilot test with over 750 registrations.

Finally, about 550 students from 28 secondary schools in Catalonia attended the event. This remarkable turnout demonstrates the interest in classical culture among young people and the important role that the Tarraco Viva Festival can play in the educational field.

During the award ceremony of the Odysseus Contest 2023, there were lively displays of congratulations and well-wishing to the winning colleagues. It was a joyful day that began with an epigraphic scavenger hunt and continued with a historical reenactment show about the Roman legions. In the afternoon, the participants could enjoy various theatrical historical recreations in the activity “Monuments of Tarraco,” this year in the amphitheater and the city walls. 

An exclusive epigraphic itinerary for the winning groups 

In the 12th edition of the Odissea Awards and the return to normalcy after the pandemic restrictions, the ICAC offered the winning groups a very special activity: an epigraphic itinerary through the Upper Part of Tarragona led by two members of the ArPA-LIRA research group from the ICAC, accompanied by transfer technician Ada Richaud. 

The walk, titled “From Letter to Stone: Epigraphic, Monumental, and Heritage Itinerary of Ancient Tarraco,” guided the students and their teachers through various points of interest in the streets of the Upper Part of Tarragona, allowing them to reflect on the historical characters of Tarraco, their interpretation from a gender perspective, the role of social classes in Roman times, the preservation of pedestals (wear, graffiti…), and the cultural heritage of the city.

Passejada epigràfica 2023 (1)

Passejada epigràfica 2023 (2)

Passejada epigràfica 2023 (3)

Passejada epigràfica 2023 (4)

Interestingly, the team that won the first prize in the contest consisted of two boys, while the majority of classical studies students are girls. In fact, among the twenty students who went up on stage to receive the awards, there were only four boys.