Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, is a very old city and even made its first appearance on a map in 133 B.C.. In the Gothic quarter, it becomes obvious that the city has got a long history. There are still some pieces left of a Roman wall, and there are lots of Gothic buildings . The city's population kept growing trough the centuries, and soon the city was expanding outside the Roman walls.
From the beginning of the 18th century, Catalonia was under Spanish government. In the middle of the 19th century, Barcelona became a rich and fast-growing city, and experienced a cultural and economic revival. It was during this period that the city was expanded with the area El Eixample. The Renaixença- movement was started and its purpose was to let Catalan culture revive again. Catalonia wanted to escape from the Spanish regime, which resulted in riots. The Spanish civil war started in 1934 under the fascist regime of Franco, who destroyed Catalonian politics, economy, and culture. After 1945, Barcelona revived again, the rich aristocracy cooperated with the fascists, but Catalan nationalism was still alive among workers, students and intellectuals, resulting in strikes during the fifties. Serious protest arose in 1971, and after the death of Franco in '75, Catalonia became autonomous . No matter how hard the successors of Franco tried to keep a fascist regime, democracy took over, under Juan Carlos I. During the eighties, Catalonia became the strongest economic province in Spain, with 2 million inhabitants in its capital. The city is flourishing again and got new impulses in all kinds of ways.
Source:
http://www.zibkip.be/barcelona/architece.shtml
http://www.tourspain.org/barcelona/history.asp
http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/history.asp
From the beginning of the 18th century, Catalonia was under Spanish government. In the middle of the 19th century, Barcelona became a rich and fast-growing city, and experienced a cultural and economic revival. It was during this period that the city was expanded with the area El Eixample. The Renaixença- movement was started and its purpose was to let Catalan culture revive again. Catalonia wanted to escape from the Spanish regime, which resulted in riots. The Spanish civil war started in 1934 under the fascist regime of Franco, who destroyed Catalonian politics, economy, and culture. After 1945, Barcelona revived again, the rich aristocracy cooperated with the fascists, but Catalan nationalism was still alive among workers, students and intellectuals, resulting in strikes during the fifties. Serious protest arose in 1971, and after the death of Franco in '75, Catalonia became autonomous . No matter how hard the successors of Franco tried to keep a fascist regime, democracy took over, under Juan Carlos I. During the eighties, Catalonia became the strongest economic province in Spain, with 2 million inhabitants in its capital. The city is flourishing again and got new impulses in all kinds of ways.
Source:
http://www.zibkip.be/barcelona/architece.shtml
http://www.tourspain.org/barcelona/history.asp
http://www.aboutbarcelona.com/barcelona/history.asp
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