The
History of Barcelona
A little research will show that Barcelona’s history is as colorful
as its market places, paellas, and Picasso masterpieces. As early as
the fourth century BCE, Barcelona’s cycle of invasions began. And with
each new conqueror came visible influence on the city’s culture, politics,
and architecture.
Around the year 250 BCE,
the Carthaginians were the first to settle in the north-astern corner of
the Iberian Peninsula. It was one Carthaginian,
Amilcar
Barca, who founded the city and is credited for its original name, Barcino.
Romans took over the Peninsula, along with Barcino, by the first century
BCE, bringing with them architecture that is still visible within the
city today.
Next, around 400 CE, the Visigoths invaded Spain, moving its capitol south
to Madrid, and renaming Barcino, Barcinona. The city went through a few more
invasions (Muslims from the North of Africa, and Franks), but they had little
lasting influence.
Because of its great location,
bordered by France to the North and the Mediterranean to the East, Barcelona
eventually rose to become one of the most powerful
trade cities on the Mediterranean. Not only did its port grow in influence
during
the Middle Ages, but the city itself grew and expanded. It was during this
time that many of the beautiful buildings of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter
were constructed.
In 1492, with the discovery
of the Americas, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
shifted their attention away from Barcelona and the Mediterranean seaboard
to the new opportunities rising on the Atlantic. Barcelona was no longer
the seat of the monarchy, and Madrid once again became the capital of
the new Spanish
Empire.
Barcelona´s situation
worsened in the 17th and 18th centuries with a Catalonian revolt against
Spain, which originated in Barcelona,
and lead to over a decade of decline in wealth and population. Then
in 1702, during
a struggle for succession to the Spanish throne, Catalonia favored
the Archduke of Austria, while the rest of Spain supported the Frenchman,
Felipe of Anjou.
When Felipe won out in 1714, all of Catalonia, including Barcelona
was
suppressed culturally and politically.
The end of the 18th century
marked the beginning of a period of growth in Barcelona’s history. The
city’s population tripled, expanding its
walls even
further, and
with an industrial boom, its economic status improved. There was
resurgence in interest in Catalan traditions and culture, and Barcelona,
once
again, was an important center in Spain. Though the city continued
to blossom
with the
1888 Universal Exhibition, and the International Exhibition of 1929,
Barcelona, as well as the rest of Spain, saw great social and political
unrest through
the 19th and 20th centuries.
Following the dictatorship
of Primo de Ribera, Catalonia again experienced great blows culturally and
politically.
Throughout Spain there was
an economic recession and a feeling of powerlessness, which brought
out
a rebellion,
led by Francisco Franco, and eventually resulted in the Civil War.
Catalonia stood
by the legally established republic, and in 1939, when Barcelona,
along with Madrid, fell, the war ended. Thus began a long period
of even
greater repression
of Catalonian identity, as well as a stunt in economic, social,
and cultural growth for Barcelona.
With the death of Franco
in 1975, and the establishment of the first democratic elections in 1977,
Spain was finally
on its way
toward
reestablishing itself.
At the same time, there was a surge of nationalist and autonomous
ideas in Catalan, resulting in the administrative status of Catalonia
as
an Autonomous
Community in 1979. During this time, Barcelona continued recovering
and developing. The city proved itself to be a leading presence
in the world
as an artistic,
cultural, and industrial city when it was chosen to host the
1992 Olympic Games. This event, in itself, produced many extensive changes
to the
city, including
parks, museums, roads, and urban development.
The history of
Barcelona has had many ups and downs, however, it demonstrates just how
culturally independent, colorful, and
spirited
this city’s
inhabitants are.
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