Abstract:

Bishop Fructuous and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius were executed in the year 259 in the Tarraco amphitheatre. Two superimposed churches are located in this area. The upper church dates to the 12th century and the lower was built in late 6th century or early 7th century. The latter features three naves, a sanctuary, ambon choir and an adjacent room which served as preparatorium, mausoleum and baptistery. A great construction effort was made to place the temple in the exact space of the martyrdom as it was necessary to lay the foundations for its structures at the bottom of the fossae. The basilica exploited most building elements from the Late Imperial period of the amphitheatre and other buildings in the city. The metrological study of the temple shows that it was designed based on meditated technical and theological criteria applying a holy mathematics in keeping with the thought of Augustine of Hippo and Isidore of Seville.