Barcelona

Lore & Background

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast. Some sources suggest the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC, but there is no evidence that its name in antiquity, Barcino, was connected with the Barcid family of Hamilcar. In the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the composite monarchy of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona became the most important city in the Crown of Aragon and its main economic and administrative centre, only to be overtaken by Valencia shortly before the dynastic union between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1516. Barcelona became the centre of Catalan separatism, briefly becoming part of France during the 17th century Reapers' War and again from 1812 to 1814 under Napoleon. Experiencing industrialization and several workers movements during the 19th and early 20th century, it became the capital of autonomous Catalonia in 1931 and was the epicenter of the revolution experienced by Catalonia during the Spanish Revolution of 1936, until its capture by the fascists in 1939. After the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an autonomous Catalonia.

In Their Own Story

The late afternoon sun casts long, golden shadows across the twisted ironwork of Casa Batlló as the first notes of a street guitarist drift from Plaça Reial. A traveler pauses on the Passeig de Gràcia, watching the mosaic dragons on the roofline seem to breathe in the heat, while nearby, the scent of fresh bread and sea salt mingles with the exhaust of a passing tram. In this moment, the city feels suspended between centuries; the Roman walls hidden beneath modern cafes whisper ancient secrets to those who listen closely enough.

Reader's Guide

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions. Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe, as well as the main biotech hub in Spain. Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona, one of Europe's principal seaports and the busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with links to France and the rest of Europe.

Did You Know?

• The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Baŕkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription.
• An abbreviated form sometimes used by locals for the city is Barna; Barça is only applied to the local football club FC Barcelona.
• The city is referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan and Ciudad Condal in Spanish, owing to its past as the seat of the Count of Barcelona.
• Important Roman vestiges are displayed in Plaça del Rei underground, as a part of the Barcelona City History Museum.