Description

On 21 January 259 AD Aemilianus, the governor of the province of Hispania Citerior, condemned Fructuosus, the bishop of Tarragona, and his two deacons Augurius and Eulogius to be burnt to death. With this act Aemilianus fulfilled the wishes and orders of the emperors Valerian and Gallienus in their determination to persecute the Christians.

This act is explained to us in the Passio Fructuosi (Fructuosus Passion). These acts of martyrdom are the oldest in the Iberian Peninsula and are a first class historiographical reference that help us increase our knowledge of the Roman world, of Tarraco of the third century and of the early days of the Hispanic Church.

Aware of this magnificent heritage Pope Benedict XVI awarded the city of Tarragona its Jubilee Year in 2007.

?From the talented hand of the illustrator Pilarín Bayés and with texts from the historian Andrew Muñoz, a unique work has emerged which, for both its interest and pleasant style, is a benchmark and a reference source for the whole family that transcends the purely religious aspect. Read more »