Barcelona information

History

The area's history dates back about 4,000 years as evidence of human settlement can be found as far back as the late Neolithic period.
The founding of Barcelona as a city began with the Romans. During the Roman occupation, Barcelona was surrounded by imposing city walls. The walls were maintained over many centuries and even amplified at a later point, and the structure limited the growth of the city. Between the 5th and 8th centuries, Barcelona's rule was transferred from the Visigoths to Muslim control. In the year 801, Charlemagne's troops entered the city.
This period, which heralded a new era, didn´t last very long. The Muslim forces invaded the city, which brought about two decisive consequences for Barcelona. One consequence was its almost complete destruction and, the other, its independence from the Franks.
At the beginning of the 11th century, Barcelona invaded Córdoba and obtained an important victory that yielded great wealth and economic benefits.
Starting in the 12th century, during the Middle Ages, Barcelona experienced an era in which it flourished in all aspects of city life. The marriage between the count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer IV, and the King of Aragón's daughter united the two territories on both an economic and political level.
Barcelona maintained its status as capital of the new government and began a period of expansion enabled by its open commerce with the Mediterranean and the taxes the Muslim Taifa Kingdoms were obliged to pay to the city. Barcelona became a destination for all kinds of merchants, artisans and seafarers. Outbreaks of Black Death and civil war devastated the city's population, whilst military actions abroad did little to ameliorate the situation.
Castile did not approve of Catalonia's independence and in 1640 began what became known as the Guerra dels Segadors (War of the Segadors). Barcelona resisted for 12 years until 1652 when the Castilian troops finally vanquished the city.
Between 1705 and 1714, Barcelona fought the Guerra de Sucesión (War of Succession), which ended in the city’s conquest by Franco-Castilian troops. The result was an enormous degree of repression. Currently, the Fosar de les Moreres, located in the Born district next to the Santa Maria del Mar church,
recalls this defeat and a lit flame represents the remembrance of all Catalonians who fell during the War of Succession.
After this period, which was marked by tremendous crisis, Barcelona once again began its process of recuperation. Barcelona remained a militarised city, so much so that an enormous fort was built to protect it from invasions (the remains of this fort are now the Ciutadela Park). The Raval area and La Rambla, until then a walk without any particular significance for the city, began a process of urbanisation.
The first half of the 19th century was marked by uprisings and upheaval: in 1814 workers organised the first general strike. These tensions and the obvious desire for change also brought about important reforms.
In 1848, Barcelona inaugurated its first railway line, and its industrial vocation earned it the nickname "Little Manchester". In 1854 the city walls were knocked down, which paved the way for an unprecedented urban development.

Furthermore, the Ildefons Cerdá plan was approved in 1859. This plan laid forth the idea for Barcelona's Eixample as we know and enjoy it today: a classic grid structure built around public spaces. The 1888 World Fair event would mark a turning point for the city. Firstly, Europe suddenly saw Barcelona as a city that shared its same concerns. Secondly, Spanish immigration began to reach the capital.

Starting in the late 19th and early 20th century, Barcelona became the centre of a cultural avant-garde that concerned itself with all forms of advances made in the scientific, technological and artistic fields.
The spirit of modernism touched all of the city's artistic spheres, including architecture. Barcelona attracted a generation of artists who gave fantasy its ultimate expression and for whom the only taboo was the straight line. Coloristic ceramic, glazed glass, wrought iron and an imaginary bestiary were incorporated into the architecture. The ultimate exponent of this architecture was, of course, Antoni Gaudí with universal creations such as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà or La Pedrera, Casa Batlló and Parc Güell...
La Pedrera
The 20th century also brought dark times to the city. In 1906 Barcelona lived through its sadly famous Tragic Week marked by several altercations, barricades and the burning of convents. The military repression had also brought about an increase in Catalonian nationalist spirit. However, a few years later, the general Primo de Rivera lead a coup in which he installed himself as dictator. Harsh repression dominated in the city. However, Barcelona managed to overcome the repression and, amidst this difficult time, organise the International Fair of 1929.

In 1936 the Spanish Civil War broke out, during which Barcelona would suffer through one of its hardest periods. Thousands of people were forced into exile abroad while the bombings devastated the city. In 1939, when the Civil War ended and Franco's dictatorship began.
The post-war period unfolded in this environment until the 1960's, when a surge in economic and industrial growth attracted a wave of migration from different parts of Spain.Franco's death in 1975 finally brought democracy to Spain.

In 1981 the International Olympic Committee announced that Barcelona would host the 1992 Olympic Games. At that moment, the city began a profound architectural and urban transformation that opened the city to the sea and culminated in one of the best Olympic Games in history.
The Forum of Cultures 2004 was the latest event on a global scale celebrated in Barcelona. The Forum centered world attention on the city and served as the impulse for the construction of new spaces.
Today, Barcelona is one of the main tourist destinations in Europe and there are plenty of reasons for it. The city has known how to maintain its identity without renouncing coexistence, has excelled in design without losing traditions and has become a cosmopolitan capital without forgetting its customs.