Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
La Setmana Tràgica, 1909
Right
Olympic Games, 1992
Stages in Barcelona's History
!
BC: The Founding of a City
various local factions, known as
Els Segadors
, revolted. Fighting
began in 1640 and dragged on
until 1652, when the Catalans and
their French allies were defeated.
%
19th Century:
Barcino, as the city was first
known, was founded in the 3rd
century BC by Carthaginian Hamil-
car Barca. It was taken by the
Romans in 218 BC, but played
second fiddle in the region to the
provincial capital of Tarragona.
@
4th-11th
Industry & Prosperity
Booming industry
and trade with the
Americas brought
activity to the city.
Immigrants poured
in from the country-
side, laying the
foundations of pros-
perity but also the
seeds of unrest.
The old city walls
came down, broad
Eixample avenues
were laid out and
workers crowded the
old city neighbour-
hoods left behind by
the middle classes.
^
1888-1929:The Renaixença
Centuries: Early
Invasions
As the Roman Empire
began to fall apart in
the 5th century, the
Visigoths took over
the city, followed by
the Moors in the 8th
century. Around AD
800, Charlemagne
conquered the area
with the help of the
Pyrenean counts.
£
12th-16th
Poster, 1929 International Exhibition
Centuries: The
Middle Ages
During this period, Barcelona was
the capital of a Catalan empire
that included much of modern
Spain and parts of the Mediterra-
nean. The city's fortune was built
on commerce, but as neighbouring
Castile expanded into the New
World, trading patterns shifted and
the Catalan dynasty faltered.
Barcelona fell into decline and
came under Castilian domination.
$
1638-1652: Catalan Revolt
This new wealth, showcased
in the International Exhibitions of
1888 and 1929, sparked a
Catalan renaissance.
Modernista
mansions sprouted up, and the
nationalist bourgeoisie sparked a
revival of Catalan culture, particu-
larly of literature, theatre and art.
&
1909-1931: The
Revolutionary Years
But discontent brewed among
workers, Catalan nationalists,
communists, Spanish fascists,
royalists, anarchists and
In reaction to the oppressive
policies set out in Madrid, now
ruled by the Austrian Habsburgs,
30
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