Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
republicans. In 1909, protests
against the Moroccan war sparked
a brutal riot, the
Setmana Tràgica
(Tragic Week). Lurching towards
Civil War, Catalonia passed under
a dictatorship before being
declared a Republic in 1931.
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1936-1975: Civil War
Top 10 Historical
Figures
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Guifré the Hairy
The first Count of Barcelona
(d. 897) is regarded as the
founding father of Catalonia.
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Ramon Berenguer IV
He united Catalonia and
joined it with Aragon by marry-
ing Princess Petronila in 1137.
& Franco
At the outbreak of war in 1936,
Barcelona's workers and militants
managed to fend off Franco's
troops for a while. The city was
taken by Fascist forces in 1939,
prompting a wave of repression,
particularly of the Catalan language
which was banned in schools.
(
1975-1980s: Transition to
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Jaume I the Conqueror
This 13th-century warrior-
king (d. 1276) conquered the
Balearics and Valencia, laying
the foundations for the empire.
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Ramon Llull
Mallorcan philosopher and
missionary, Llull (d. 1316) is
the greatest figure in medieval
Catalan literature.
Democracy
Franco's death in 1975 paved the
way for democracy. The Catalan
language was rehabilitated and,
following the introduction of a
new democratic constitution in
Spain, Catalonia was granted re-
gional autonomy. The first Catalan
government was elected in 1980.
)
1992-Present Day: The
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Ferdinand the Catholic
King of Aragon and Cata-
lonia (d.1516), he married
Isabel of Castile, paving the
way for the Kingdom of
Spain's formation and the end
of Catalan independence.
^
Idlefons Cerdà
19th-century urban planner
who designed the Eixample.
Olympics & Beyond
Barcelona was catapulted onto
the world stage in 1992 with the
highly successful Olympics. To-
day, the city remains socialist in
politics and ready to perceive it-
self as both Spanish and Catalan.
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Antoni Gaudí
An idiosyncratic and devout
Modernista
architect, Gaudí
was responsible for Barcelona's
most famous monuments.
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Francesc Macià
This socialist nationalist
politician proclaimed the birth
of the Catalan Republic (1931)
and Catalan autonomy (1932).
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Lluís Companys
Catalan president during
the Civil War. Exiled in France,
he was arrested by the Gesta-
po in 1940 and returned to
Franco, who had him executed.
)
Jordi Pujol
A centre-right regionalist
politician, Pujol's Convergència
i Unió coalition ruled Catalonia
from 1980 to 2003.
Civil War, 1936
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