...a Catalan country retreat
Barcelona
HOME--COTTAGE -- COTTAGE & HOUSE--CENTRE--B & B
l’Ametlla de Mar - el Perello - Ebro Delta - els Ports - Tortosa - Tarragona - Barcelona - Morella - Miravet - Benifallet
History
Barcelona is the political and cultural capital of Catalonia, with an architectural, artistic and cultural heritage marked by a history that goes back some two thousand years. Its Mediterranean climate and cosmopolitan nature, not to mention its excellent location in terms of international communications, all make Barcelona one of the world’s most attractive cities. The founding of the city is attributed to Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome. Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei, entrance by the city museum and the typically Roman grid-planning is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Gothic Quarter. Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early fifth century, by the Moors in the early eighth century, reconquered from the emir in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis. The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged by dynastic union The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona's decline. Economic recuperation started towards the end of the 18 th century and industrialization in the 19th century turned Barcelona into an important political, economic and cultural centre. It was the site of the Olympic Games in 1992.
The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernist architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. Completion is planned for 2026.