Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. It is located in the southern part of the principality, next to the Mediterranean Sea, which limits the growth along with the surrounding mountains. This makes it, is bound to grow vertically.

The largest city of Catalonia is divided into ten districts to facilitate the process, although it has a historical reason. Ciutat Vella is the historic center and the Eixample is the expansion of the city outside the walls after the fall of these. The remaining districts are called the former municipalities located around and have been integrated into the city finish: Sants-Montjuïc, the Corts, Sarria-Sant Gervasi, Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and Sant Marti. This division continues, as the districts are divided into districts with their own identity.

The beginnings of Barcelona

Barcelona's story takes us back to Roman times, although it is known settlement in prehistoric times. In Roman Barcino becomes a small town between Emporiae and Tarraco, but with all the elements necessary to be growing so that, later, the military, the knights, the municipal magistrates, citizens, slaves and freedmen were part their environment.

In medieval Barcelona was the scene of high and low in the power of the Romans and Visigoths new, but maintained a good position as a city. Despite the passage of Muslims, Barcelona does not retain many traces rather Christians kept those elements that made the city the seat of the royal court. With this, Barcelona has grown in size and population and noted for its commercial importance, among artisans and merchants, without neglecting the foundation of the Consulate of the Sea to activate commercial dealings. Gradually, the city introduced a profile of citizen who had not hitherto Barcelona, ??the friars and preachers.

As Barcelona grew, it was stressed in new construction to promote the city that did increase the power of Barcelona, ??both politically and economically. Despite improvements, there were also surprises, but Barcelona was a city strong and able to cope, but despite their efforts, the House of Barcelona led to the Trastámaras. These changes behaved disappointment among citizens and entered the war period. Finally, Barcelona overcome an avalanche of influences and it is for this reason that the Gothic side stands the Romanesque much. Nevertheless, Barcelona and aims to be a meeting point between artists and writers.

Growth of the city

During the modern era, Catalonia became part of the Crown of Castile, but Barcelona continued to grow and betting on its future economic, political and increasingly craftsmanship. This enabled Barcelona was formed in a way, every time, more elaborate, more formal and elegant to be developed into the beginnings of what is today, but despite their efforts, Barcelona could not avoid everything that was dictated from outside, conflicts with the new king, twitching with the French king, etc.. Finally, Barcelona was affected by the war of succession and was put under the troops of Philip V on September 11, 1714. This is the date of the National Day of Catalonia and the date, too, in which the king ended the then Barcelona and Catalonia at the time. From that moment, Barcelona lives in the midst of change, but does not take long to delve into new ideological and evolves toward a liberal exchange and trade of the population reaches the end of the Old Regime.

The importance of Barcelona

The modern era brings a Liberal revolutionary Barcelona becomes the engine of Spain thanks to its factories. Its growth causes the fall of the walls and the projection of a new development plan that allows for growth Barcelona in an easy and tidy. In 1888 it would host the World Expo and this would make every admirer center, could not fail and succeeded. That is when, because of its growth, join the former municipalities and built the new districts of the city. This alone would mean that Barcelona still active and ready to face whatever is propose and now played, the modernist buildings. Despite this, Barcelona has always had a point once again defeated and was touched by the riots, this time by the Tragic Week. But Barcelona joined forces to move forward and get that in 1929 he inaugurated the International Exhibition. Again Barceclona falls again, this time in the hands of Franco's army to conquer the Iberian Peninsula. Barcelona is attacked several times, until it falls defeated implying the inevitable defeat of the Republican army. But there was still much resistance time and living in all colors.

The dictatorship of General Franco was picky about it, its people and its culture. Today the debate continues in force to keep up memories of that time, but it seems that little by little, you will be getting physically erase the memory. After all, Barcelona is brave and faces new challenges such as the Olympic Games in 1992 and becomes a major European city, located in a strategic point unbeatable big business headquarters and home to young artists.

Meet today's Barcelona

Barcelona is large and this means offering a wide range of things to haceer to visit and learn. In the middle of the city, found at the center of all the hustle, the Plaza de Catalunya that invites us to walk to Port Vell through the Ramblas, to see the wonders that dwarf have become the most visited and therefore more tourism in Barcelona. If we reach no more, we can get lost along the east side of the Rambla s to reach the Palace of Music, the Cathedral of Barcelona, ??the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar, walk around the Gothic Quarter, etc. . If we want to go a little further, we can reach the Spanish Village at Montjuïc sources, the Plaza of Spain, among others.

In addition, Barcelona also allows us to create thematic routes depending on what you want to visit:

• Modernism: to know it is essential to visit the Eixample, but if what we really want is to discover Gaudí is necessary to see the Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Park Guell, etc..
• Museums: to visit different museums is necessary to select, there is a wide range. From the most visited of Catalonia, the Barça Museum, to other smaller but no less interesting as the Chocolate or the Wax Museum.
• Markets: Barcelona markets have a great charm to help us know how special this city is. There is a good collection among them the Boqueria, Sant Antoni, the Ninot, and of course, Encants els.
• Shed alternative: we can not forget that Barcelona is known for this facet, whether at music festivals like Sonar and Primavera Sound, with shops, art galleries and bars.

It is undeniable that Barcelona is a world and you can not find an excuse not to put your feet when you are there, even in passing.