The award-winning project by the ETSA professor aims at improving the natural surroundings of the 2nd century A.D. Roman site at Can Tacó in the Vallès Oriental district

The Domus Fassa Bortolo International Awards aim to reward excellence in the field of heritage care. In this, the sixth edition, for the first time in the history of the awards, the chosen projects come from all continents and number 105 in total. The awards are given out by the Fassa Bortolo Society and the Università degli Studi Di Ferrara (Italy).

In February, the judges decided to award the gold medal to the project by Toni Gironès from the URV’s School of Architecture because of the improvements it has made to the Roman ruins of Can Tacó, located between the towns of Montmeló and Montornès del Vallès in the province of Barcelona.

At Can Tacó, the Roman site is located at the Turó d’en Roina, which faces south and is 50 metres above the confluence of the rivers Congost and Mogent, at the source of the river Besós and some 20 km from where it meets the Mediterranean Sea. Forming part of the Turons de les Tres Creus, it is a natural enclave in an environment that has been highly fragmented by human activity. The project aims to recover and give value to the site’s natural and archaeological heritage. The Roman site can be found at the end of a tranquil and winding walk through a small oak wood and consists of a Roman palace whose room layouts can still clearly be seen. Built partly from local stone in successive phases, it was an important settlement prior to the construction of the Via Augusta and it is currently a natural viewpoint looking out over the Vallès district.

The award ceremony will take place at 18.00 on 21 March in the prestigious Palazzo Tassoni Estense, home to the Department of Architecture of the Università degli Studi Di Ferrara, where Toni Gironès will give a talk explaining his award-winning work. The architect has won several prizes over the course of his professional career.

The Roman site of Can Tacó was archaeologically investigated by the Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology (ICAC), affiliated to the URV, under the direction of Josep Guitart (UAB-ICAC).