History

Historical Information

The 1992 Olympic Games turned the world's eye to this age old city that has been, and continues to be, a modern presence in Spain. Barcelona has many districts, giving it the feel of a large, Roman city with an old, gothic atmosphere. As a powerful Mediterranean port and the capital of Catalonia, this rich, historical past is the foundation on which the new city was based. Barcelona's residents are open minded and cosmopolitan, bringing a bohemian flavor to the city, which lies between the mountains and sea.

City Origins

It is often said that Barcelona was given its name from the arrival of the great hero, Hercules to its coasts. According to the legend, 2000 years before Christ he came from Africa in a nine-boat expedition to colonize. Later Romans arrived in Tarragona, making it their first priority, and giving Barcelona subordinate status. Later in the Visigótico period, this Roman capital par excellence, also had a downward fall.

The Medieval City

After a century of Muslim dominion, there was a period of intense commercial activity and religious coexistence between Jews, Christians and Muslims. With the arrival of the Christian governors to the city, the Muslim community was forced into a prisoner zone named, The Call. In present day, The Call is located around the streets Palla, Banys Nous, Bisbe and Plaça Sant Jaume. While the Jewish Community controlled culture and commerce in Barcelona, their imprisonment in the ghetto constituted an omen of expulsion and an end to influence. Already, the large city had been named the Condal City, acting as the mighty capital of Old Catalonia. Following the expansionist interests of Corona de Aragón, Barcelona developed a powerful naval base. Catalano-Aragonese's power extended as far as Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Naples, Albania, Córcega, Athens and part of Greece. They pioneered, establishing social norms, marine rules and other customs that would later be imitated in other European cities. In the fifteenth century, the Maxima institution of self-government of Catalonia was given an admirable seat in the Palau de la Generalitat. The medieval growth of the city is represented in its gothic architecture, with magnificent works like the cathedral, the churches of Sant Just, and Sant Jaume, and the basilicas of Santa María del Pi and Santa María del Mar

Reign of Castilla

After the fifteenth century reign of Castilla, Barcelona, Catalonia and the Kingdom of Aragón fell into a deep economic and political depression because of the marriage between Isabel and Fernando (well-known Catholic King). During these years conquest and colonization in America damaged Mediterranean commerce during the height of Turkey's great marine power. The final blow came when Archduke Carlos of Austria, whom Barcelona supported, lost the War of Spanish Succession.

Cultural Renaissance and Modernism

During the industrial revolution and the period of cultural renaissance, the city grew to its maximum splendor. With this came the literary rebirth of the Catalan language and the modernist movement, in which artists and architects alike made the city admired on a worldwide scale. All these movements were led by the industrial bourgeoisie, and influenced by the nationalistic movements of the European countries that resisted the Castellanizadora force. The houses built in the Barcelonian Eixample display architecture from a diverse range of historical influences. Ildefons Cerdà, influenced by local folklore, designed rectangular buildings for the bourgeois. The most well-known and loved artist during this period was Antoni Gaudí, who designed remarkable, modernist works, such as the La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), the Casa Batlló, and the Parc Güell.

Modern Barcelona

During the postwar period and the pro-Franco dictatorship, a political and cultural repression occurred across Spain. Since then, 25 years of democracy has followed, giving Barcelonans the right to vote. Under the mandate of Pasqual Maragall, the city began the construction of infrastructures to lodge the 1992 Olympic Games. Some of these structures are, the Olympic Vila of accentuated modern design, the Anella Olimpica of Montjüic and the Port Olimpic.