In the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula there are no outcrops of marbles, but only limestone quarries of various types. Despite this, huge volumes of imported marbles have been discovered in Tarraco, belonging to the architecture and decoration of its public and private buildings. This is due to its role as the capital of a large province and its proximity to Italy.

Luni-Carrara marble, in its white and greyish varieties, stand out among these imported materials. It was used on a large scale in the town, so that it has been documented in the main public buildings of Tarraco, such as the forum, the theatre, and the public baths. Findings are concentrated in the so-called “provincial forum”, particularly in the area of the temple of Divus Augustus. The sanctuary and its portico were made entirely of Lunense marble.

This circumstance is a peculiarity throughout Hispania citerior. In other towns of the province, this marble is documented in architecture, but only in a testimonial way. It is generally limited to crustae. The finds usually correspond to inscriptions and sculptures that were part of certain contexts or specific decorative programmes. In Tarraco, by contrast, there is evidence of the work in situ of large volumes of marble. This was done not only by the local workshops but also by metropolitan craftsmen. These latter were installed mainly in the Flavian period to carry out the architectural and decorative elements of the above-mentioned temple of Augustus. The ideological charge of this marble is evident in its use for the provincial imperial cult sanctuary of Hispania citerior. In fact, there are some signs that the temple was partially built thanks to imperial intervention.