The Protection of Health

A Lazaretto was a health facility located outside inhabited areas, where travelers and goods arriving from places suspected of being affected by contagious diseases were required to undergo quarantine. Within a single space, the need to control goods and patients was combined with the aim of preventing the spread of contagion.

The strategic location of Cape Salou, with its coves and beaches, turned it into a key hub of peninsular Mediterranean maritime trade. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, it became established as the main commercial port of southern Catalonia, acting as a gateway for the export of manufactured and agricultural products from the Camp de Tarragona. This central role led to tensions with Tarragona, which sought to monopolize port activity along the western coast of Catalonia.

The peak of the Port of Salou came in 1770, when it was authorized to trade with Spanish and foreign ports without having to rely on the Port of Barcelona for health regulations. From that moment on, Salou was able to trade with ports throughout the world, with the exception of those in the American colonies.

In 1820, a new building intended to serve as a Customs House was constructed on what is now Carrer de Barcelona. However, in November of that same year, its operation was abolished by decree of the Constitutional Courts. This situation left the Port of Tarragona as the dominant port along the Tarragona coastline. In 1826, the Salou Customs House was reinstated and the port resumed full activity. That same year, the construction of the Salou Lazaretto was also approved.

The site chosen for its construction was Els Pilons, between Llevant Beach and Capellans Beach, with easy access to the sea. The exterior of the building resembled a fortress, with imposing stone block walls. A large staircase descended almost to sea level. In 1828, a delegation from the Superior Board of Health of Catalonia traveled to Salou to assess the suitability of the building, and by 1829 it was fully operational. In 1830, a physician was assigned to the facility.

Changes introduced in maritime health legislation in 1847 led to the decline of the Port of Salou and, as a result, the gradual abandonment of the building. Nevertheless, records confirm that the lazaretto continued to serve its purpose until at least September 1854, as evidenced by documents relating to the payment of staff salaries.

Old Lazaretto view (before 1920). Unknown author

Ships in Quarantine

During the cholera epidemic of 1833 and 1834, very specific orders were issued to prevent the spread of contagion by sea. However, the measures adopted proved insufficient.

In Salou, intensive preventive health activity was carried out: a total of 39 vessels were required to undergo quarantine in its anchorage. In 1834, the number of vessels in quarantine doubled, reaching a total of 78.

Most of these vessels came from peninsular Atlantic ports, particularly from Galicia. There are also records of vessels arriving from Andalusia and from the regions of Valencia and Alicante.

Most of the vessels quarantined in Salou during the cholera epidemic were llaüts (traditional Mediterranean sailing boats), although fishing boats and larger-tonnage ships were also present.

Old Lazaretto view from Punta de Porroig (2026). Author: Pedro Otiña

Further reading:

Otiña Hermoso, Pedro: Sanitat marítima: la defensa de la costa i la salut pública de Tarragona 1720–1930. Tarragona: Centre d'Estudis Marítims i Activitats del Port de Tarragona : Arola, [2014].