Barcelona

Lore & Background

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians. In the Middle Ages, it became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona became the most important city in that crown, later overtaken by Valencia. It became the centre of Catalan separatism, briefly part of France during the 17th century Reapers' War and again from 1812 to 1814 under Napoleon. It was the capital of autonomous Catalonia in 1931 and the epicenter of the Spanish Revolution of 1936 until its capture by fascists in 1939. After the Spanish transition to democracy, it again became the capital of autonomous Catalonia.

Reader's Guide

Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe, and the main biotech hub in Spain. It 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) handling 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. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics and for architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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, meaning 'Comital City'.
• Important Roman vestiges are displayed in Plaça del Rei underground as part of the Barcelona City History Museum.